Brooke is TWO months!!

I can't believe I am actually writing this post!  Today is December 9th, (I know, it took me awhile to post this) which means Brooke is TWO MONTHS old today!  Our sweet girl is growing so incredibly fast!  Here are her two month stats from her doctor visit and development!

*22 1/2 inches (58th%), grown 2 inches since birth
*10 lbs, 9 oz (44%), gained 3 lbs 3 oz since birth
*size 0-3 months clothes and some 3 month (just not the pants)
*size 1 diaper
*still nursing, but will drink bottles of pumped milk
*when on her stomach, can lift her head to look straight at you-not for too long, but she's getting there!
*likes to sit up and look at everyone and everything-inlcuding her crazy brother who runs around the house at night!
*smiles!!
*coos at you when you talk to her
*loves to be swaddled
*loves to be held
*loves her swing when she's sleepy
*not so much a fan of laying on her back to play or be in the bouncer seat for too long

Check out these smiles!  She definitely is a Daddy's Girl already!  When Ryan talks to her, she coos and gives him THE BIGGEST smiles ever!  He's in serious trouble...and he knows it!  I love her cute little smile-it reminds me of how sweet and innocent she is, how much happiness she has to look forward to!  I love the brightness in her eyes and the little corners that turn up on her usual frowny face.  Sweet, sweet, Brooke!

 I started back at work on November 23rd, and she is spending the mornings with Connor at their sitter, Rachel's house.  I think Rachel was excited to have not only a baby, but a girl!  There are currently all boys with the exception of one lonely 2 year old girl (who was also excited for some extra estrogen in the house).  I got Brooke adjusted to take a bottle awhile back and she does so well with it. I just have to make sure I remember to pump enough for a couple bottles!  It did feel strange getting her ready that first day.  I did great until I pulled down the street to drop them off...that's when the tears started.  I choked them back, got my babies out of the car, and walked them up to the door.  As I was explaining instructions for Brooke, I started again!  (I have to throw in here that I am so incredibly grateful for Rachel-she is AMAZING and loves my children so much!  She is the reason I was absolutely at peace with going back to work at 6 weeks!)  I quickly left and got myself to work before all of the makeup was off my face.  Luckily, the three hours went by SO quickly!  I was back to pick them up in no time, and realized that it was going to be easier than I thought.  I LOVE my kids, but it was nice to get dressed in professional clothes, do my job and talk to adults.  It's even better that I only do that for a short time before I get to leave and spend the rest of the day with Connor and Brooke.  I count my blessings for such a great balance every single day!!!!

Then I get to come home!  Connor has lunch, and usually Brooke too.  I have had to figure out a system for a lunch routine.  This was SO EASY with just Connor.  But now...well it takes some creativity.  I have to leave Brooke in her carseat for a few minutes while I get Connor's lunch ready.  Elmo's World gets turned on or he plays.  Then I give him his lunch and milk.  By this time, Brooke is usually yelling at me to get her out of the carseat to eat.  So, I either have to leave Connor at the table until he's done while I feed Brooke or I take the Boppy over to the table with me and they both have their lunch!  Then I put Brooke in her swing or bouncer while I put Connor down.  On really nice days, Brooke is passed out in her swaddle in her crib.  On not so nice days, she has to cry for a few minutes while Connor and I get a little snuggle time in-usually it is the latter.  We read a few books in his room, listen to his music, and cuddle until I put him down.  He usually whines because I think he wants more mom time, but at that point, Brooke can be really upset!  Whew!  I finally get out to Brooke and then she wants to finish lunch before she officially is down for the count.  I love this part of the day because I just get to sit with her, rock and just take in all of her cuteness!

Dinner time is the harder part of the day as well.  They are both up from naps.  Connor likes to go outside or play with his toys inside.  Brooke will hang out in her bouncer and stare at the lights in the kitchen for a short amount of time.  I'm counting down the minutes until Ryan gets home, because usually both of them are crying at me! Poor Ryan has worked all day, driven in rush hour, and comes home to be put to work! Ahh, the life of a parent!  He takes whichever child is in the most need of something, and I finish dinner.  By the time I get food on the table for everyone, Brooke is usually hungry unless Ryan has been able to give her a bottle.  This is the beginning of her fussy time, and there have been many meals with Brooke in one arm and a fork in the other! 

After dinner, one of us tends to Brooke/cleans up dinner while the other gives Connor a bath and gets him ready for bed.  This time is pretty busy as well, but we are really getting the hang of it.  Finally, after some rocking, feeding, reading and music, they are both down.  Whew!  Then we sit on the couch for a few minutes together before one of us is about to fall asleep and we decide to go back to bed.  Then we check on both of our babies before we join them in dreamland!

Christmas is coming soon and I can't wait!  Then I'll be hurrying to write Brooke's three month post! Slow down!

Brooke is ONE month!

Now she's actually older than one month, but I finally sat down at the computer!  What lucky parents we are.  She has settled right into this family!  Before she was born I worried about the following things (and more!):

1.  Connor adusting
2.  Having a newborn and an almost two year old and spending time with each
3.  Would she eat well?  sleep well?  cry a lot? 
4.  Managing to get out into public with two kids


The list goes on and on...but these were on my mind daily.  And here's what I've discovered in a month:

1.  Connor's amazing.  He's a natural big brother.  He cares for her deeply, shares with her, loves to help with the bottle and binky, and looks for her when she is out of sight.  He gives her tons of love, pats her on the head and checks to make sure she has her eyes, ears, nose and feet on a very regular basis.  If it's possible, I love him more now that he has settled into his protective role as Big Bro.

2.  This one is still a bit tough sometimes, but 1. seems to help with that.  He usually understands that when I am feeding sister that I can't get up.  Luckily I also have an amazing sitter who has been watching Connor in the mornings to keep his routine and Connor still gets to go play with his friends.  He gets one on one time there with Rachel, and I have gotten to bond with Brooke in her first month of life in a way that I'm not sure would have happened without Rachel's help.  I also happen to be married to an incredible man who works all day, yet still comes home with the energy to play with Connor or snuggle with Brooke, whichever is the most in need at the time.  My friend from Stroller Strides, Sara, gave me great advice when I was still pregnant to try to spend time with just Connor whenever I can.  Luckily, since Brooke is a great sleeper, I have been able to still do so.  I feel like Connor and I are as close as ever, but that he is also becoming more social and feels comfortable asking others for help or love.  This one will always be on my mind!

3.  Yes, Yes, and No!!  Whew!  I don't know how I lucked out with two such mellow, laid back babies, but I did!  Brooke immediately nursed within 10 minutes of birth and hasn't stopped since!  She latches well, which has made my milk supply plentiful.  I've been able to store a nice stash of pumped milk in the freezer too!  I'm hoping to nurse/pump as long as possible!  I enjoy our time while she eats...listening to her little sounds and watching her beautiful eyes as she falls asleep.  She's my last baby, so I guess I'm taking every moment in.  She sleeps so amazingly well too.  She has gotten into a routine of going to sleep at 8:00 after about 2 hours of fussiness.  Even her fussiness isn't bad.  She just fights going to sleep.  We use a humidifer that also provides white noise, and a Miracle Blanket (how did we every do without that when I had Connor.  Throw away your SwaddleMe's and get the Miracle Blanket!!!) to swaddle her when I lay her in her crib.  She goes to sleep without a pacifier.  The combo of the white noise and swaddle is working!  Then she sleeps until around 2:00 am when she wakes up for her feeding.  Connor is still using the glider, so I come out into the living room to change and feed her.  Then, it's back in the swaddle!  At this point, she's up a couple hours later, and I feed her and then sleep with her on the couch.  Otherwise she grunts and groans for the next couple hours.

4.  I have this down now!  Woohoo!  Connor always opens the garage door, I set Brooke down in the carseat, get him in (he likes to buckle) and then take Brooke around to my side and get her snapped in.  Connor used to like to be carried out, but he's gotten used to this now.  As for outings, I finally got my BOB Duallie.  I LOVE IT!!!  It took a little convincing on Ryan's part.  He wasn't sure it would handle as well and be too big.  But we quickly figured out that having Brooke in my Ergo wouldn't be the easiest to always do, so we sold the single on craigslist and put that toward my double.  It's fantastic!  I have the carseat adapter for Brooke, and Connor loved being right next to his sis.  So now, a month later, I've mastered the exit strategy with both kids.  I can't wait to use it for running soon!  I'm getting used to my diaper bag being filled with necessities for both kids too.  So far it's easy since I don't need formula and many bottles.

Ok, those were my main concerns, and I feel much better now a month later!  Now, onto just Brooke.  Here are her one month stats:

8 lbs 13 oz
21.5 inches long

Solely nursing, but also drinking from a bottle
Still fits into newborn clothes-0-3 month is still too big!
Just switched to size 1 diapers at night, still using newborn during day
Her "firsts" this month:
*trip in the car
*Dr's appointments (including newborn screening)
*Restaurant visit: Mimi's Cafe
*Pictures-by Rachel Janssen Photography
*Trip to the park (walked with me in the carrier)
*Birthday Parties! Daddy's 30th and Brother's 2nd, and Unbirthday present. :)
*Umbilical Cord fell off at 2 weeks old
*Night in the crib at almost 3 weeks
*Real bath at 2 weeks and 2 days
*Shopping trip with her friend, Kamryne and my friend Erin (they are 5 weeks apart!)
*Halloween!  Wore a onesie that said "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" and went to Pumpkin Patch
*ride in the double stroller the day before she turned 1 month at the outlet malls!

She's finding her hands and getting them to her mouth on a more regular basis, but those hands are also waking her up and making her quite fussy during the day.  She grunts and kicks her feet when she's upset, and lets out some very cute warning sounds before she gets to screaming.  Even her angry, hungry scream is cute.  I'm letting her sleep on me during the day, especially in the morning when it's just her and I.  I love smelling that wonderful baby smell and listening to all of her little sleepy sounds.  How quickly we forget what those are like, and how quickly they disappear!

It's bittersweet-I can't wait to see what the next month will bring, but I don't want her to grow!  I do look forward to smiles, giggles and more!

Connor's 2nd Birthday!

My little man turned TWO on November 2nd.  I officially have a toddler.  Whew!  As I woke up to take his birth minute picture (Ryan thinks I'm crazy, but as long as he lives in my house, he will have his picture taken at 3:24 am every year!).  And yes, I cried.  I thought back to the night he was born, reliving how the day and night went, and how I felt when I officially became a mom.  I love this little boy more than I can even say and am so incredibly privileged to be his mommy.  He has taught me patience, how to live in the moment, have fun with the smallest things and to remember to stop and enjoy the little things in life like seeing an airplane in the sky or a bug on the ground.  His smile can light up a room, and his eyes-oh those eyes!!  There is something magical about his eyes.  I think we're in trouble when he's older!  We made sure to celebrate his two years with us over the course of a couple of days because he deserves it!

Here are his 2 year stats:
26.8 Pounds
(I can't remember height-now I have to call the dr!)
Size 2T shirts
Size 18 month pants
Size 4 diapers
Size 6W shoes
Finally likes something other than Baby Einstein: Elmo's World and Thomas
Loves his pal, Sammi
Is an amazing Big Brother-loves his sister already so much!
Still in his crib-big boy bed coming in the next few months
Loves racquet balls, or if there is a choice of colored balls, blue.
Loves building with the mega blocks
Loves being outside whenever possible
Loves to rock and read books before going to bed
Sweetheart-he really is my little lover boy!  Loves kisses and cuddles!

First, Aunt Jennie flew in from Florida to be here for the big day.  How cool is that! Connor LOVES Aunt Jennie-she spends a lot of time on the floor playing with him, so he was a happy camper.  Especially since the past month, I've been so occupied with his new sister!  The morning of his birthday, he woke up to donuts.  (we always had a birthday donut with a candle as kids, so I've carried that on!)  He had two candles in his donut, and we started to sing "Happy Birthday" but he kinda freaked out.  He's not a fan of loud singing, or maybe just bad singing.  But when he got to eat his donut, he was happy-as you can tell!

Then he got to have one present, which is his new Leap Frog birthday cake that actually lets you blow out the candles! I was hoping it would help him with his fear of singing the happy birthday song and help with counting...so far, so good!



He got to spend the morning with Rachel and his friends and then had a special Sonic birthday lunch that we took to Nana at work.  He was so excited to see her!  After his nap and some play time, we ordered pizza, one of his favorites, from Pullano's!  What a fun day!

His birthday party was planned for that weekend.  I had planned it before I had Brooke and because I wasn't sure when I was going to have her, I invited family only to Rio Vista Park.  That way I wouldn't have to clean my house after just having a baby and because I knew the kids of all ages would enjoy the place.  It's beautiful there!  We were able to get a ramada right by the pond, so the ducks came to visit often.  I decorated with an Elmo theme since he's recently taken a liking to him.

We had sub sandwiches, crackers, cheese, grapes and the cutest cake!  Ryan's mom got his cake from Bakerwee (a family fave!) and they did an amazing job!  The little Elmo on the top turns into a spork for him to use while eating his birthday slice.  The Sesame Street decorations were rings that the kids could wear.  I loved it and it was a big hit!

Then it was present time!  He wasn't too interested in opening his presents, so Ryan and I had the pleasure of doing it for him.  He was spoiled!! He's set on winter clothes (ps-he looks adorable in jeans and long sleeved t's!), a train set, Thomas tent and toys, educational toys to help him talk, and of course, some trucks! 

It really was a fantastic day-beautiful weather and surrounded by people that love him the most!  He's grown so much in the past year and I can't wait to see what the year brings to him!  Happy second birthday little man!  We love you so much!!!

Ryan's 30th Birthday

I'm behind on my blogging...as can be expected since becoming a mom of two!  So, I have to catch up on a few important events!

Ryan turned 30 on October 20th.  He doesn't think it's a big deal...in fact, every year he says his birthday isn't a big deal.  Every year, I have to tell him that birthdays ARE a big deal.  If he hadn't been born, I wouldn't have the wonderful life I do, and our children wouldn't be on this earth.  So, as long as I'm alive, birthdays will be a big deal.  Plus, HELLO! It's his 30th!!

Now, poor planning on my part.  I had a baby right before his big day.  (ha!).  However, just because our plans to go on the Price is Right were squashed didn't mean I couldn't attempt to have a surprise waiting for him two weeks postpartum. 

On his actual birthday, he recieved an ipod shuffle because he always complains that his Touch is too big when he's at the gym.  I got steaks and potatoes to make for dinner, his favorite.  Even though he had to bbq them, it was delicious!  Then, since it was just us I got a strawberry cheesecake, his dessert of choice.  He had a great night and even got to have a few drinks with his buddy Bobby.  He thought the fun stopped there!  The next night, we went to Bobby Q's which is Ryan's favorite restaurant.  Waiting there for him were our closest friends-Joel and Chandra with their two kiddos, Chad, Chandra's brother, Wes and Christina and Bobby.  Ryan's mom came a little later too-she did give birth to him thirty years ago after all!  We had a blast there-ate some great food, had some great laughs and then I gave him his little overnight bag and told him to go have a few drinks with the boys and have a night off! 

He's accomplished a lot in his thirty years.  He may not think so, but it's true.  Ryan is the most determined person I know.  When he sets his mind to something, he does it with his whole heart.  I've been lucky enough to spend the last 11 1/2 years with him to observe this.  Plus, he has given me two of THE MOST amazing children in the world, and is determined to be the best father to them.  It's not hard, he's a natural, as he is with most things.

Thirty years may not seem like a long time to some people, but I'm proud of what he's done in thirty years.  And, as the song says, I can't wait to see what happens in "his next thirty years"!! 

Happy 30th Birthday to the best husband in the world!!

The Birth Story of Brooke

The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind...the most incredible whirlwind of my life.  You all know how anxious I was to add our baby girl to our family.  And then, it suddenly happened! 

On October 9th, 2011 we all got up like any other day.  I told myself I wasn't going to think about the baby coming.  Instead, I was focusing on the fact that my Mom is moving out of her house into a new one, and I hadn't been much help.  It's hard with an almost 2 year old and a giant belly to really do much, but on this day, we enlisted the help of Ryan's parents to watch Connor so Ryan and I could help Mom, Aunt Mary and Aunt Carrie move as much as we could before the baby did come.  I got Connor ready and drove over to my in-laws, switched vehicles with them and came home.  I had one errand to run-I needed a battery charger for the camera I had purchased from a guy on craigslist the day before.  So, I quickly ran up to get that and a pomegranate tea from AJ's.  I even texted my sis in law, Carly, and told her I had zero signs of the baby coming any time soon!  I came home and Ryan and I ate some lunch to fuel up for the move-this was at noon.  While I was chomping on my ham and cheese panini, I started feeling some contractions.  I didn't get my hopes up though...this has happened before!  However, this time was different...

I timed them.  They were 10 minutes apart.  I called Mom and let her know I was going to watch my contractions for an hour and then call her back.  She told me "I think this is going to be it".  I replied with "yeah, yeah" and finished watching a show.  Ryan took advantage of the time by taking a nap (since he had gone out with some friends the night before).  I went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood and park and worked up a good sweat.  Now they were 7 minutes apart.  When I got home, I sat on the big exercise ball, did some deep squats and cat/cow from yoga, and they maintained.  I woke Ryan up and debated with him.  He got up with me and we went for another walk around the park.  During this walk, my contractions got down to 5 minutes apart, and I had to stop for some of them and breathe through them.  By the time we got home, I called Mom and told her what was happening.  My biggest fear was going to the hospital only to be sent home!  It happens all the time!  By 4:00, they were painful enough and still 5-6 minutes apart, so we decided it was time.  My bag was ready, but Ryan threw as much as he thought he needed into his gym bag and we headed out the door.  My mind was racing-I hadn't packed a bag for Connor.  I only laid out his "Big Brother" outfit and the present I got for him from his sister, and the little pink giraffe he picked out for her.  The carseat was ready, but I had taken out the base when my sister was here...etc.  We walked into Banner Thunderbird.  The last time we did this, I was there for an induction, so we got to skip triage altogether!  In we went, got hooked up the monitors and waited.  Sure enough, my contractions were strong enough and close together and I was at 4 cm.  The doctor advised walking for an hour, and she needed to see change in order for me to be officially admitted.  I was determined!  Ryan and I not only walked, but ran up and down stairs, did jumping jacks, and even a few lunges and squats to make sure I showed that change!! (Well, actually, I did all that-Ryan made sure we had a pit stop at the cafeteria so he could get a drink.  He also got me an icee-let me tell you, it was the best icee of my life!).  We got back to the room at 5:30, and crossed our fingers and toes!  Sure enough, I was at 5cm!  She got in touch with the doctor, and they made the decision to admit me.  Woohoo!!
By 6:30, we were in our labor and delivery room.  About an hour later, we decided to break my water to move things along, so I got my epidural (which only worked on the right side at first...thank goodness laying on my left side finally helped numb me!).  We watched the contractions get stronger and our baby girl stay steady. My mom and aunts got there not long after and the wait began!  We chatted about the new iphone, convinced Aunt Mary to take Carrie's ipod touch, and played with the new camera. I was still only about 6 cm, and were told it could be awhile-most likely our little girl would be an October 10th baby because she wouldn't be born before midnight.  About that time, my mother in law arrived, and I got to catch up on Connor's day.  I missed him so much!  I also talked to my sister, who was at a wedding and in a different time zone, therefore had already taken advantage of the open bar.  She was very excited, I think, through all those tears! :)
Suddenly, just as Carrie busted out the game of Quiddle, I felt the most intense pain of my life.  It was that sheet gripping, face squinting, if-I-had-a-leather-strap-I'd-bite-it type of pain.  It was 11:15.  I told Ryan to get the nurse ASAP, and my family decided it was time to go to the waiting room.  The nurse came in, showed me how to use the pain pump, and then checked me.  She was shocked to see that I was 9 cm!! She said she'd come check me in a half an hour or so.  Fifteen minutes later, I told Ryan to go get her again because the pain wasn't going away and I was feeling the need to push.  She came back in (and I think was a little skeptical!) but checked, and sure enough-I was at 10 cm!  She called to start getting people in the room to get ready for baby, and I looked at Ryan.  This was it!  She said to give her a couple pushes to see where I was, and then quickly told me to stop so she could get the doctor in there before the baby came!  We were elated-Connor's birth was two and half of the longest hours of pushing.  Poor guy was up high and not ready to come out, so to have 2 pushes down and be ready for her to come was incredibly exciting!
The doctor came in (ps-it wasn't my doctor, but a wonderful doctor from the practice who I liked very much!) and got herself ready.  On the next contraction, I was to push.  Our nurse, Jolie, took the camera from Ryan and snapped away while Ryan helped me push.  TWO PUSHES, yes, TWO PUSHES later, we met our daugther.  The umbilical cord was wound around her body, but she was absolutely perfect.   She let out a few cries, and they put her directly on my immediately.  Our eyes met, and we looked at each other like we were old friends. It was an amazing feeling to feel so good after giving birth to her (with Connor I was so exhausted and sick!!). 

After her tests and getting cleaned up, I got to to nurse her immediately (another experience Connor and I missed out on until 6 hours later).  She was perfect!  At that point, Ryan and I had to decide on a name! Yikes!!  We had decided our top three names the night before while eating some spicy food at Abacus.  Kyra, Brooke and Lindsay-it was one of those!  We knew immediately that she was not a Lindsay.  So it was between Kyra and Brooke.  I looked at her and looked at Ryan and told him I felt like Brooke was it.  I think he was too tired to make any decisions, but he agreed after we repeated both names a few times to make sure.  The middle name had been decided on by me months earlier, but this was kept a secret.  Why Laurel?  My Grandma Phyllis' middle name was Laurel, my mom's name is Laurie (derived from that) and my sister's middle name is Laurel.  What better name to give my daughter than one shared by three very important women in my life!  So, there it was BROOKE LAUREL. 

We gathered everyone back in the room, and introduced her.  Everyone got some snuggle time in before we let them go to bed, and we prepared for our first night as parents of this beautiful little girl.

She has been amazing these past three weeks.  Brooke is much easier than we thought considering how much she moved in the womb.  She's still a mover, but very content and calm unless hungry or dirty.  She sleeps well, and wakes up on average three times a night to eat, change and snuggle. 

How is it as a family of four?  It's a struggle at times to make sure we are giving Connor enough attention, or when he wants something and I am nursing Brooke.  Thank God for a great support of family and friends!  They have all helped so much and shown both of our babies so much love!  We've realized that we can easily make it on our own, and that we work so well as a team which makes life easier.  I wouldn't change a thing!  I do know that this is it for us.  As soon as she was born, I had an overwhelming feeling of complete-ness.  Like this is the way our family is meant to be!  I'm not sad about it either (well, most of the time-I'd be lying if I didn't say that I love the birthing process and the newborn stage, but I don't want to be pregnant and trying to take care of 2 kids!). 

So, that's it!  That's the story of how our Morgan family became a complete family of four with the addition of Brooke.  We are incredibly blessed and reminded of what a miracle life really is.  Thank you all for your support and love.  We look forward to what life will bring is in the coming years!

The Waiting Game...but it's worth it!

Warning:  This pregnant mama is getting SUPER cranky.  This sentiment has a good possibility of showing itself within this post!  But I promise, it gets less cranky!

The Waiting Game...oh so fun!  Three weeks ago when I had my first, as Ryan and I like to call, "violation" appointment, the doctor was shocked that I was already 80% effaced.  In fact, I had people tell me to be careful, because I could sneeze, and my water could break!  Well, it's not easy to be careful when you are working and taking care of a 2 year old!  But, I made it to the next appointment...2 cm and 80% effaced.  Progress! She could come early!  We talked about when to go to the hospital-I was officially full term, and my Dr. let me know when she'd be on call just in case!  Then the next appointment came...3 cm and 80% effaced.  At this point, I have all of my friends who have had babies tell me that they were not even near this far along when their contractions started or when their water broke!  My lovely doctor stripped my membranes for me because I told her I'm in pain all over, even when she touched my stomach, and that I am SO ready for this baby to get here!  Friends tell me I could go in anywhere from 8 hours to one day, which was great! 
My sister surprised me with a one day "layover" here in Phoenix-best surprise ever!  I didn't think I would get to see her until November 2nd, when she is set to come visit for a week for Connor's birthday and to meet her neice!  I haven't seen her since June in Montana, and it was such a great treat to get to spend the day with her.  We got manicures and walked the mall, talking and laughing and catching up.  I LOVED the thought of her getting to be here when the baby came, but no such luck.  It worked out great because we got to focus on her, and celebrate her 25th birthday with her at Babbo!  (Her birthday is October 7th, and we joked that her neice would want to steal her thunder...longtime joke that it's something I always do!)
I went to work on Thursday which was Professional Development Day.  Translation: the students leave early so the teachers can sit for 3 or more hours in a meeting.  (side note: the great part about it is that I got to spend all morning with just Connor.  We went for a long walk and played at the park for over an hour!!)  I could not get comfortable!! I was up and down, and stretching out my back and moving my legs.  She's just getting so big in there-she's running out of room and taking it out on me! :)  
Yesterday (Friday), Ryan had the day off with Connor and me.  We had a great lazy day.  The weather is beautiful, and we can finally go outside after 9:00 am!  A little before lunch, we went for a walk up to the park.  They took out Connor's favorite slide, but that didn't stop him!  He took his ball (I swear, all I'm getting him for his birthday is raquet balls-they are his absolute favorite toy!) and spend an hour throwing the ball down and waiting for Daddy or Sammi to find it and give it back to him.  Then he'd run back up the steps and do it again!  The only slide was the gigantic twisty slide that, to a mom of an almost two year old, might as well be as tall as the Empire State Building!  Luckily, my son is only somewhat of a daredevil, but also thought it was too tall to do by himself.  Ryan went down with him, which is hilarious because his legs are so long.  It wasn't long before two other little kiddos came to the park, ran up the steps, sat down, and started going down the slide!  Connor was FASCINATED!  He was giggling and babbling to them, and made instant friends.  The next time they ran up the steps to the slide, he followed right behind, and went down ALL BY HIMSELF!  It was the cutest thing we have ever seen.  I wish I had my camera, but I just didn't think I'd need it.  (Plus I'm going to look at an XT on craigslist later, and can't wait!) A minute later, Ryan came and sat down beside me and we watched our suddenly independent son go up and down on the playground equipment.  We both looked at each other, and realized how it's the little things that make you so proud to be parents.  Something as silly as Connor learning how to go down a slide on his own made me beam with pride...

Suddenly I let it go.  I let go of the fact that I'm uncomfortable, have to pee all the time, am tired, in pain, can't stand up or sit up on my own, etc.  I am enjoying whatever time I have left as a family of three.

That doesn't mean I have completely stopped being anxious or ended complaining.  I still have my moments, but I'm just reminded that life is about to change in a very big way here soon.  New adventures, trials, tribulations, and memories to make.  But for now, it's just Ryan, Connor and me, and that's perfectly fine!

38 Weeks! Random Thoughts and Feelings

Yes, I've been slacking.  Why?  Because at my 36 week appointment, I was already 1 cm and 80% effaced.  The 1 cm isn't a big deal...but the 80% is!  That usually happens during active labor, when you are around 6 or 7 cm or more.  So, I quickly went into hyper nesting mode thinking this baby is surely coming early!  Not too early-she would be full term at 37 weeks, and her lungs and other vital organs should be fully developed. 
Last Saturday I woke up nauseous.  It didn't take long before I was throwing up, and then the contractions started.  They started out very mild, and progressively got worse.  I was convinced I wasn't going to make it through the weekend.  I made my mom come over so Ryan and I could go see Moneyball, again thinking this was the last movie we were going to be able to see for awhile.  My contractions were a bit painful and more uncomfortable throughout the movie.  Then we got home, and went to bed...I slept perfectly and woke up without a contraction.  WTF? Good news is, I made it to my shower! 
I had my shower with family and friends last Sunday, which was a blast.  I had the people nearest and dearest to me there (except my sister, who lives in Florida and has her tickets already booked for the beginning of November!  We still missed her!)  This little girl got spoiled with the cutest outfits, bows, toys and so, so much more!!  We laughed like crazy and told lots of stories-it was a day I won't forget, and am so thankful for my sister in law, Amy for hosting at her house, and my Mom, Aunt Mary and Aunt Carrie for all of their planning and work in making it so special.  Not to mention everyone who gave up their Sunday afternoons to spend it celebrating with me.  (I'm sure their significant others weren't too upset about that, considering it was football day!)  I drove everyone crazy because we still don't have a name.
Sorry peeps, there will not...I REPEAT...NOT be a name until she is born!  I promise, we don't secretly have one and are just choosing not to tell. We seriously can't decide on a name, and have chosen to wait until she's born.  I swear though, not giving people a name seems to torture them more than not finding out the sex of the baby! :)
I went through the week, still uncomfortable and having a lot of pelvic pain.  It's been feeling like someone is pulling me apart.  I never felt that or even one contraction with Connor because he was up so high in my belly, and just never showed any signs of wanting to enter the world.  Thus the long labor and 2 and half hours of pushing to get him out.  So, this is all new to me-the pain, the contractions, the uncomfortable-ness, but I know it's all part of it.
At my 37 week appointment, I moved to 2 cm and still about 80% effaced.  Moving right along!  All week I've been getting the rest of my things done.  My bag is packed, her room is done, Connor's outfit that I want him to wear to the hospital to meet his sister is laid out, the present he is "receiving" from his sister is wrapped, the carseats are installed, mom and I got our pedicures, etc.  I have it all ready to go.  Which is probably why all signs of labor have come to a screeching halt! 
*Sigh*  I know she'll come when she's good and ready, and I'm still 2 weeks away from my actual due date, but still!  I'm getting impatient!  I want to have my body back so I can play with Connor without getting frustrated.  I want to sleep (yes, I know there will be a big lack of that), without my belly getting in the way, and generally just move on to the next chapter in our lives.  But I still have my fears and apprehensions. 
We went to our favorite restaurant, Abacus Inn, last night for some spicy food, and went on a little walk up and down the side walk afterwards.  There we were, our little family of three-Connor in the middle and holding each of our hands.  It was bittersweet knowing things are about to change in a drastic way, but also very exciting!  I've been taking advantage of rocking my little man at night.  I know that's also about to change soon.  So I read him his books, turn of the night, and snuggle him as tight as I can and give him as many kisses as I can and tell him I love him so very much.
Who knows what the next week will bring.  I could go into labor at any time, or she could be stubborn and wait until her due date.  Either way, she'll be here soon, and the anticipation is incredible.  Hopefully, my next update will be her  birth story! 

34 Weeks and 22 Months

I'm a little bit behind here, so I'll just do an update for 34 weeks, since I'm only a couple days away from that anyway!

34 Weeks Preggo
Weight:146 lbs
Belly:

Doctor's Visits:
I went in at 31 weeks, and my fundal measurement was small.  I should be 31 cm, but was measuring in at 28.  Weird, because I felt huge!  Dr. Jaacks then came in to double check my measurement, and then told me that she'd like me to have an ultrasound to make sure Baby Girl is growing correctly and didn't have a growth *gasp* abnormality.  Way to scare a pregnant lady!!  She asked me to take it easy until we knew for sure.  So, I got the call the next day to get in for the ultrasound, and had to wait an entire week.  That week, I ate 20 lbs worth of cottage cheese and luna bars to try to bulk her up with protein just in case I wasn't giving her what she needed.  However, I knew she was fine.  Like I've posted before, this girl HURTS me when she moves, so if she was small, she was strong!
The day finally came for our ultrasound.  Let me tell you, I was excited.  The last ultrasound we had with Connor was when we found out he was a boy at 18 weeks!! This was a real treat, and I couldn't wait to see what she looked like at 32 weeks in there.  It was INCREDIBLE!  She had the hiccups, and we could see her diaphram move up and down with each one.  I could see just what was making me hurt (her foot, and her tush that she push up against my belly).  The ultrasound tech had fun with her-trying to get her to keep her hands and feet out of her mouth, but my little girl was stubborn!  Her measurements were right where they should be at 49th percentile, and she weighed in at 4.3 lbs, which will put us on the track for her to be about 7 1/2 pounds when she is born.  I can handle that, since Connor was 7 lbs 14 oz!  They have said at every single ultrasound how perfect her heart is, and I can't hear that enough!  She even brought in another tech to show her, and made the comment "That's what a healthy heart looks like-Don't you wish they all looked like that?"  My  heart melted, and I realized how lucky we are to have two such healthy kids!  How blessed we are! 
Then the big surprise came...she did 4D!  Normally, 3D ultrasounds cost hundreds of dollars-a.  I'm not willing to pay that b.  I do have SOME patience to see what my babies look like.  However, it's required for a growth ultrasound, so what the heck?  Holy cow, is she CUTE!!!  She looks SO much like Connor...right down to the cute little nose, wideset eyes, and forehead that sticks out a little.  She even opened her eyes!!  I didn't even know they did that in there, but there she was, opening and closing her eyes in the darkness!  She was sticking her tongue out, swallowing, sucking on her hand, yawning.  It was just amazing.  It made me so much more anxious for the next few weeks to go by so we can meet her in person!  (and hopefully have a name picked out for her!)
I go in next week, when I am 35 weeks, and they start checking my cervix then.  (Sorry if that's too much information!  It's just as uncomfortable as it sounds!)  That will be weekly, until our little active girl is here.  I just can't believe time has flown by so much that we are just weeks away!


Nursery:
Ryan got the bright idea to order off Amazon.  We haven't done anything to the room since we painted it and got the bedding in.  So, we decided on a very pretty white crib that came with a toddler rail (ps: I don't even want to think about her being a toddler...it's going to fly by!), and then into a full, just like Connor's crib does!  That came in yesterday, and the changing table should be here next week too.  Ryan's mission is to get that put together this weekend.  It's coming together!

Connor is 22 months!!
I update on Connor so much on facebook, that I feel like everyone knows just what he does and how he is.  Lately, he's been my little snugglebug.  For awhile there, as soon as we were done with books and turned out the light, he was ready to be put into his crib and go to sleep on his own.  Last week, though, I went to put him in his crib, and he turned around and put his arms around my neck and snuggled right in.  I couldn't resist, so I sat back down in the rocker, and we rocked and snuggled until he was asleep.  I walked out of that room and cried like a baby.  He's such a sweetheart, and he and I are attached.  We have a special bond that is absolutely indescribable.  I understand him, and even when he frustrates me, I can always figure out why and fix it.  Each night since then, he's done the same thing.  I'm savoring it, because I know things are about to change for him in a big way.
Maybe he gets that?  Does he sense that his world of "Connor" is about to be rocked off its' axis?  That Mom is no longer going to be able to cater to his every need?  Who knows, but for the next 6 weeks, I will continue to snag every chance of "us" time that I can.  I'm feeling a HUGE amount of guilt...hoping that he will handle becoming a big brother and a family of four in a positive way, hoping that we can handle the tantrums I'm sure are to come, and the jealousy or confusion he might feel.  Luckily, I have a great support system of family and friends who have offered some great advice of how they have handle similar situations.  I know that the guilt I feel is normal, and that it will all be ok.
But still, he's 22 MONTHS!!  Oh how time flies.  He's going to be two. years. old. in just a couple months!  He's starting to communicate more, but we're still not making much progress on actual words.  I was hoping we would by this point, but I'm just giving him time.  We've moved to 2T or 24 month shirts, finally in 18 month shorts (but not because the 12 months don't fit around they waist-they do, but they are too short), and I just bought him two new pairs of size 6 shoes.  The poor kid was wearing size 5-he put these on today and ran around the store happy as can be!  He still loves to color, still loves his Baby Einstein (although I think his love for these are FINALLY fading), and still loves to swing.  He's growing and learning over at Rachel's every single day, and has become great at keeping himself occupied and playing on his own-a skill I am thankful for as I will become a little busy with a newborn here soon.  His smile still lights up a room and melts our hearts, and his eyes are still as sweet yet mischievous as ever.  He's still my baby...for now!

30 Weeks and Signing

I can't believe I'm 30 weeks!  It gets a little bit scary when you hit the weeks that begin with "3"...that's it-it's go time!  Next week marks the single digit waiting game, and since school is starting then as well, time is going to FLY!

Measurements:
Waist: 39 1/2 inches
Weight: 143 lbs. 

Developments:
The bigger I get, the more uncomfortable I get.  However, I have to say I'm pretty comfortable!  Besides being constantly hot (seriously-just chopped all my hair off because I was sick of drying my hair!),  I still feel amazing.  I still LOVE being pregnant.  But, I have had to listen to my body more lately.  The Braxton-Hicks contractions have been happening more, but only when I am pushing myself too hard.  The bummer part is that pushing myself can be just trying to get the house vacuumed.  I notice that my back will hurt and my stomach will tighten and I have to just sit down and take a break.  As of right now, I just try to keep our dishes done, the kitchen clean (thanks to the wonderful summer ants), and the laudry kept up.  I will try to clean one room a day during Connor's nap, but that usually lasts until Thursday and then I use Connor's nap time to sleep!  That's another thing that has returned!  I am so tired by the time Connor naps.  If I don't nap, then I'm ready for bed super early.  I am SO incredibly thankful for my work schedule which allows me to be home with Connor during naptime-I think that'll be key here in the next 10 weeks.
She is getting the hiccups more and more.  Yesterday, it was six times!  They make my entire belly shake, but it's fun because I can tell exactly where she is.  Usually, they are low in my stomach, but every once in awhile I can track her movement by the shaking of my belly.  She's still very strong, but I can tell her movement is slowing down just a bit, so that must mean she's growing!
My doctor's appointments are still off by a week, so I don't go in until next week.  I will be going every other week until near the end of September! 

Connor:
My little love bug is growing.  Everyone keeps commenting on how tall he is looking!  He is running everywhere.  His current favorite toys are the different colored counting bears with the different colored cups.  I'm trying to teach him colors by sorting the bears into the cups since he LOVES putting things back into buckets and cups.  He's getting the hang of it with a couple of the colors, and holds each of the bears up like he does with his crayons, which is how he asks me what color it is.
His coloring is getting better too.  I just bought the triangular shaped crayons for him to help him learn how to hold the crayon better.  Up until now, he would hold the top.  Then he would get frustrated because he couldn't really see the color on the paper very well.  He will seriously sit there for 15 minutes at a time with such focus on his face-his attention span sometimes amazes me with certain things!
The newest thing lately is that instead of talking, he's decided to pick up sign language.  No joke, I haven't done signs with him in months, and a few nights ago at the dinner table I said "Are you all done", and he did the sign!  I was shocked!  So, I said it again, and sure enough-he did the sign!  Since then, he's also mastered "eat", which he did when he woke up to tell me he was hungry and "more" which I showed him when he wanted more crackers.  He picked that one up immediately, and it's perfect!  I'll take any form of communication I can get, and if it's sign language instead of tantrums, I'm a happy Mommy!

I am back to work now.  This week I worked 2 full days and helped my mom in her room this morning.  I'm BEAT!  It does feel good to be back in a daily routine again, and as many of you know, Connor loves his sitter and friends.  He's been such a happy boy since he's been back with her.  I've enjoyed my time with him this summer immensely, and feel incredibly grateful that we had so much time just the two of us until his sister arrives.  We've had so many fun memories, and although I don't think he'll remember all of our fun activities, we have a ton of pictures and blog posts to help show him later in life!

Beautiful Flagstaff

I wanted to make sure I got our last couple Flagstaff trips down because they were so much fun!  I don't quite remember having the heat get to me this much with Connor, but then again, I didn't have Connor to run after all day, and if I didn't want to go outside, I didn't have to. Lucky for me, I am married to a man that absolutely DESPISES the summers here.  I am married to two men: a. winter Ryan-happy go lucky, smiley, positive Ryan.  Then there's b. Summer Ryan-miserable, sweaty, complaining, negative Ryan.  And I get it.  Especially right now where I have sweat dripping from everywhere.  I feel like I can't wear dresses for fear of someone thinking I just peed my pants with the amount of sweat dripping my down my legs.  I digress.  (that's for you Jen!)  Nonetheless, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather just a quick drive away.

Ryan's grandma lives in Munds Park, and it's one of his favorite places to be.  He literally wanted to get married on her deck when we were brainstorming spots for our wedding 6 years ago.  It's full of a million special memories for him with his grandparents, siblings, and cousins.  So we make it up there as often as we can to visit.  Lately, we haven't been very good about that-weekends are quickly filled up with chores.  A few weeks ago, Ryan's Aunt Sandy and partner Rhonda were there for a visit.  (These are two of my favorite people!  I'll have to save this for another post, but I'm sad we won't visit their place in California this year).  We dropped everything and went up for an overnight stay to join the party.  They saw Connor last in December, so he's changed since then!  We ate at La Fonda's (which I love because you get sopapillas at the end of your meal with honey...yum!), and spent hours upon hours out on the deck.  Connor hardly came inside from his bubbles, throwing the ball around, and watching the birds and squirrels.  We took our nightly walk around the neighborhood, and got the scoop about what all the neighbors are doing.  Then, after Connor went down for bed, we had yet another one of our great late-night discussions with Sandy and Rhonda.  It's another part of what I love about being with them.  We talk about anything from politics (yikes!) to education (they are both in education as well) to life in general.  Then we wake up to the cool morning air with the fresh smell of pine trees!  What a difference from here!  We could even play at the park without fear of 2nd degree burns!

 My little cutie pie-I adore that smile!

 The Morgan Line

 Swinging with Daddy!

Sliding down the slide-he had to have done this 50 times!

Then we drove back down to the valley, all depressed when we saw the dustbowl of dirt and brown...I mean home sweet home!  It didn't take long before we decided to take another trip back up to the cool country.  The last week of July seemed perfect-Ryan had that Friday off, so we loaded up and headed up north-for the entire weekend this time!  We stopped by Anthem to see Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Dave, and then went to Munds Park for the night.  Connor quickly remembered the deck and playing, so he got right to it.  We had an amazing dinner cooked by Ryan's Grandma, and all went to bed early after the long day. 





Daddy and Connor inside the cabin



Blowing bubbles in the morning!

Eating dinner sitting on a pillow! Big boy!

Before checking into our hotel at Little America Saturday night, we hit the Deer Farm near Williams.  We've been wanting to take Connor there for awhile now, and it seemed like the perfect day to go!  We had some time before his nap, and it's not a huge place so off we went.  We saw a storm coming, but thought we could beat the storm and a cranky pants tantrum.  We did fairly well!  When we got there, we got sprinkled on a little bit, but nothing we couldn't handle.  The deer were anxious and ready to get the food we bought!  Connor was waving to them all like crazy!  We walked around to the other animals too, many of which were hiding from the rain.  He did get to pet a miniature horse and got the hang of feeding the deer.  By the time we got back to the exit, the storm hit hard.  We ran out to the car, which wasn't far, but we were SOAKED by the time we got inside! 
I have to enter a little sidenote here...actually, a big MomFail.  Earlier in the week, I was too lazy to wash my car myself and decided to take my good ole Trailblazer through the carwash.  I thought "Hey, it'll be fast, and maybe Connor will think it's cool".  Umm...the EXTREME opposite happened.  My poor child freaked out in the back seat.  I put on baby Einstein, his music, gave him his blankie, and pretty much climbed in the backseat with him.  Every time that big scary machine inched its way close to him again, the panic attack started again.  I. Felt. Awful.  Vowed I would never do that to him again and gave him a sucker when we got home.
Why would I tell you this embarrasing story of such a failure?  Because when that storm hit while we driving back to Flagstaff, you would have thought we were in the carwash again.  The rain on the windshield must have triggered that scary moment for him again, because he freaked out!  I climbed in the back seat, we turned on his music, and I distracted him by singing the ABC's and any other song I could think of.  Poor guy. :(
Here are some pictures from the happier part of that experience!

Then we got back to Flagstaff and hit all of our favorite spots: Bun Huggers, Macy's Coffee Shop, Beaver St. Brewery, Lumberyard, Mike and Rhonda's, and our favorite shops.  Connor even took one of his naps in his stroller while we walked around, had coffee and ate some lunch!  We also went to see the first day of the Cardinal's Training Camp.  We put Connor in the hiking backpack, and he had the best view!  It was awesome to see them go through all their rotations.  You can tell they are a bit rusty, so let's hope some more practice will make these guys better!  

Practicing 1-2-3 JUMP!

Enjoying some Railhead Red-Ryan's fave!

Can you tell how much we love Flagstaff??  Who knows, maybe one of these days life will lead us out of the heat and into the trees!  Until then, we'll enjoy our family get-aways!