long 36 hours

The last 36 hours have been trying. Brady has an ear infection, sinus infection, and gigantic tonsils. He had one of those fevers that wasnt very high, but tylonol/advil wasnt bringing it down. So he was miserable.

It was quite hard on me, being MASSIVE and 36.5 weeks pregnant. He was clingy and wanted mom! More so, he didnt want to lay down- he wanted to be upright. The recliner doesnt work anymore, my belly is too big, and laying down is tough because he puts all sorts of pressure on my back trying to prop himself. He didnt really care, and bawled if I wasnt holding him in some way and upright. You could tell he was miserable. Yesterday morning, we somehow got a stretch of sleep from 6-10, and I neglected to call in before 8, so there were some worried people waiting to hear from me.

He wouldnt nap all day. He would go to sleep at night. He was a beast. At 12:30am I loaded us up in the truck, and took a drive till he fell alseep. Then made him a place to sleep on the recliner, tilted back just a little. He slept there for about 5 lovely hours.

Anyway... I get to complain a little. My back kills from all that 31 pounds on me for days. My belly is even a bit tender, I think from the extra weight on it of a kid trying to get comfortable. Hopefully, I can get rid of these aches and pains soon.

We spent lots of time trying to convience B that daddy was just as nice to hang on as mommy. Try explaining that to a sick 22mo old!

I hope its....

.... a boy
because I understand the "boy thing" (well, to a degree anyway)
because I have a ton of barely worn baby clothes with trucks.
so Brady could have a brother.
because boys seem like they could be a bit easier.

.... a girl
because I love the girls name we have picked out
so I can experience raising a girl too.
so Brady could have a sister.
because I always thought it would be cool to grow up with a big brother.

Our crib in progress

Chris has been working hard on getting the babies crib done prior to his or her's arrival. (remember, this summer Brady's crib was recalled, and we had been waiting for some wood from my dad that was being kiln dried) we got some wood last weekend and here is how the crib is looking so far! He is doing such a nice job! Right now, the task at hand is steaming the wood to make it curve. (see the 2 pictures below of the process he has rigged up) Notice the curve on the back side, and the curves on the side? That is where the wood needs to be curved. I dont understand the process, but it has been a challange as he has never done this before. Lets hope this goes good!

Above, his steaming invention. LP take providing the heat to the kettle which is putting steam into the tube. The wood is in the tube. Wood comes out, and goes into the clamps seem below to shape the wood into the desired curve.

wedding weekend!

OK, finally some time. :) (lunch break at work)



So my little brother Craig married Sarah this last weekend (yes, she stole my maiden name!). Brady was ring bearer, and I was a highly pregnant bridesmaid. Brady was just adorable in his little tux btw!



So the highlights. Lets start w/ rehersal, there were 2 flower girls, one had a fever. (the area where the wedding was held is overwhelmed w/ h1n1). I couldnt believe that her parents brought her with a fever! She was miserable, it was obvious. We were so angry.



Wedding day... exhausting. B did not make it up the aisle. He ran around the side to the front and got to me that way. Little turkey. But he was still cute. He was craby at that point, so Chris took him to the truck to nap, he was sleeping in seconds.



The priest the couple had been working with was in the hospital, so the deacon from the church married them. It lost that personal touch because it was all so last minute and the deacon didnt know them. But still, the ceremony was nice.



Dinner was great! Dance, oh I wish I could have danced! (I was barely still standing at this point!) they had a great band, and the dance floor was overflowing. We called it a night around 9, and this is were the excitment really starts.



We took along w/ us my 2 neices who were tired. (we were staying at my parents place) Once I got in the truck I noticed some contractions, more like the real deal rather then BH. So, I just noticed the time and monitered it. We got back to the house, and B throws a royal fit while tring to take his tux off. He wanted to sleep!!! In the mean time, the 2 girls start crying because they want thier mom. B wanted me, not his dad to snuggle him back to sleep. Chris couldnt handle the cryng girls. So when I finally got B settled in, I went to the crying girls and tried laying down on the couch while talking sence into them. Some more contractions occur.... I just want to drink water and really lay down and calm them down! Now, one of the girls was crying so hard she was gagging! I fake called thier mom, and left a message. Asked the girls if they remembered how long it took us to drive home, that is at least how long mom had. Separated them (best thing I did was that!) and told them just to close thier eyes and wait. The gagging on fell asleep in a minute. The other was more work. but she gets to sleep, and I get off to bed.



Then, the phone rings.... I can hardly support myself, I miss it. But one of the girls woke up wondering if it was mom. grrr.... it wasnt mom, didnt recognize the number. Got her back to sleep, and me settled again. At that point I had 3 contractions in 1.5 hours.....



Then, someone comes into the house. Here my aunt and uncle, cousin and grandma got locked out of the grandma's house. (they had called too) Lucky for me, Chris could handle this, crying girls- no way! but this... so he went on the quest for a spare key (g-ma rents from my dad) and I stayed in bed.



Chris left me home with the 3 kids, g-ma who is over 90, Uncle, who is mid 70-s I think, and my aunt, who was in the best condition of all- aside from needing an anxiety pill when she got the news that I was having contractions on top of all this. I had no more contractions that night. :)



Finally, last bit of the story. Sunday was the traditional day after party, poprawiny, which is what we polish folks do.... It was nice, because I got to chat w/ family finally! But, my grandma argued with me about the weight I have gained during this pregnancy. Those that know this grandma, probably wont be surprised. But really... I already feel like a buffalo.... do I need to be told that I look like I have gained way more then 14 lbs????

sorry to dissapoint

my loyal readers- I am just too wiped to blog.

But a quick update- went to ob today, because I was concerned about the contractions- they said because they quite w/ laying down that all is ok. They didnt do an internal, and on a contraction stand point I feel better today.

They were very concerned about my exposure to H1N1. I got my h1n1 flu shot and a precription of Tamiflu to take on a preventative basis. In the mean time, I feel like doodie. Could be exhaustion, flu, flu shot, tamiflu, many reasons, but just doodie.

very quick post

just a teaser post that I am going to post later. such a busy weekend! My little brother got married. B was the ring bearer, I was a 35 wk pregnant bridesmaid, and Chris was B's personal attendant. It was EXHAUSTING!

so... the teaser part... later I will share my stories that include contractions, crying children, crabby daddies, extreme exposure to H1N1, and tons of cuteness. Oh, and I have put myself on bedrest today, I do feel the need to go lie down again.

today-

Though I personally have not experienced the loss of a baby, my heart breaks for those who have. Today, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day. My family and friends who have gone thru this pain, you are in my thoughts and prayers today.

I am remembering the twins our family lost on last Christmas Day. Chance and Kennedy were born sleeping, thier parents (and family and friends) are heartbroken. They joined 2 more angel siblings in heaven. (thier mom and dad are expecting a baby in March. Shel and Cal- you're both prayed for daily)

Click here to view these pictures larger

Recommendations: sling for nursing

Can anyone please give me opinions on nursing slings/carriers? Ones that work, ones that don't work. I'd greatly appreciate it! THANKS!

sleep like a baby?

That line is a lie! It really is, I cringe when I hear it. Brayden has never slept like a baby. ever. I dont get it, we have tried everything. Night routines, routines in general, warm milk, comfy place to sleep. The best we can ask for that is extremely rare is an 8 hour night uninterupted. Usually, he only gets 6 hours of sleep total at night (uninterupted, or interupted) and a 1-2 hour nap during the day. He is a happy and functioning 22 month old.

We don't get it! How can this busy kid not require more sleep? Chris and I are finally not getting angry about it and trying to change him and work with him. I go to bed first, since I seem to have the highest sleep requirements lately. Chris stays up with B, eventually putting him to bed. I wake w/ him at night if and when he does wake. And I wake w/ him in the morning. This works out fine on week nights, but on the weekends it can be more difficult. There is something about weekends that make us both require more sleep then we really need.

My Growth Chart

This turned out better then I expected! The growth chart itself is from Upper Case Living. They have some very cute growth charts, like a giraffe, baseball bat, fishing pole, corn stalk. But this bloom one was the one I had to have! (this is a growth chart more for me then for my kids.)

The blue dragon fly marks Brady's 18month height. Next time I order from UCL I will get some letters taht say 18months. I am a bad mommy, and cant find B's 12month height- so I will get that from the. I have an orange butterfly to mark the heights of child #2. At the top, I will put the kids names. So, a work in progress. I will probably add some more colored butterflys, like you see around 4' high.

Chris made the framed board for me because I couldnt bear placing the stickers on the wall and loosing them someday to a new paint color. He did a great job!

picture time

Above, my massively scary huge belly at 33 weeks. Its just so big. That's all I have to say about it. Brady gets it, he rubs my belly and says Ouch.
Below, Brady w/ Curious George. He loves this money so much lately. Yes, George is wearing a Bum Genius. They dont fit my chunky monkey very well still, and getting Brady to get his diaper changed can be a fight. You see, a huge part of parenting is outsmarting your children. Now that George has a diaper too, all I have to do is ask Brady if George needs his diaper checked- and he goes running to his bedroom and lays down on his back. He checks George's diaper, and I change B's diaper w/out getting kicked. Once we start cloth diapering baby #2 we will have to take back the BG and come up with a new plan.

Wondering why he is sleeping upright on a chair? This kid prefers to go, go, go until he crashes. In his baby book there is a section called "I can sleep anywhere but in my crib".

analyze this!

Anyone a good dream analyzer? I have 2 that have me puzzled, they are quit similar.

This one has been recurrant lately: I am looking in a mirror, plucking my eye brows and they keep growing back as I watch. It's the middle part, like a uni-brow that I am plucking and growing back.

The second one was last night, but seems similar to the other one. for some reason I needed to strip down naked, I got all my clothes off and each time I took my panties off there was another pair on and I kept taking my panties off.

33 weeks

I am 33 weeks and a couple days I think. This pregnancy is so different from the last. for one thing, I knew to the day where I was, I can hardly recall the week!

I think I am carrying this baby lower, for at least a month now I have been having lots of leg pain. Hopefully my legs will still be able to support me by the end of this pregnancy! The pain I dont understand, is the constant inner thiegh aches. Like sore muscles on both legs. No matter what I do, it is there. Otherwise, the normal Sciatic Nerve pain, charlie horses. The ECP is bad (short for Evil Crotch Pain), no idea just WHAT that really is, but it sucks and it is worry some. Last time, my hemi's didnt bother me till the very end (sorry, TMI!) but this time around..... YEOUCH! I wish I could remember the names I had given them 2 years ago... thinking one was Hilga.... Otherwise, still have that tender belly button going on. Dr. said it might be a herneated bellybutton, but there is nothing I can do about it anyway, so who really cares what it is called.

I am doing good on the weight gain, as of last week just 13 lbs! Last baby- I gained 45-50 total. However this time I feel like I have gained 100.

Last time, the nursery was set up and ready by now. this time, LOL, it is a storage room still. The crib isnt built, neither is the changing table. No clothes are out and ready. But I learned last time, all you really need is a boob. The rest will work out and we'll be fine.

It is a fun experience going thru this pregnancy with a toddler. Seeing things thru his eyes and wondering what he thinks and understands. He can be really caring and rub my belly and give it kisses at times. He is understanding what gentle means, finally! such a boy. At the same time, being pregnant with a toddler is incredibly exhausting!

some things I am not cut out for in a job

1. Working side by side w/ the same person monday-friday every week. ACK. I seriously dont know how people do it without going postal!
2. Working strictly Monday-Friday. Its depressing to me to waste sunday dreading monday. Then all I do is look forward to fridays. For the last 6 years I have been working a mixed up shift including some weekends, and have never worked monday-friday like I am right now.
3. Working mixed up shifts. :p
4. Working in family businesses. My bloggy friends probably dont know this about me. I grew up in a family business. Earth moving, construction. Think dozers and dump trucks. Everyone in my family works there now but me. My dad is the big cheif, my mom works in the office, so does my sister. Her hubby is an estimater, so is one of my brothers. My other brother is a truck driver. I dont know how they do it every day and remain civilized at family functions. But now, I find myself a non-family member in a family business.

what do you think?

There are some nights that B wakes up at about 3 or 4 wide awake and not wanting to go to bed. Seems like he wants to watch TV when he gets up. Last night it happened again! While driving to work I was pondering why he thinks its time to wake up? What do you think of this? When he does sleep all night, he usually wakes at about 6am. He gets up, I give him a cup of juice, and let him watch Curious George. Is he getting up, thinking it is time to get up and watch curious george?

Any ideas of what changes I can make so he goes back to sleep? I dont let him watch TV at 3am when he wakes. I try to get him back to sleep, with no luck, then let him play. Should I change that morning routine? to what?

that little bugger

after I go to sleep he has been turning the heat up. so much for our ability to compromise!