Pregnant Thoughts

I am now into my 12th week of pregnancy and really showing. I started having to wear bigger clothes with Ivy at 12 weeks, but this time I look preggo by the 12th week.... I suppose that is something about your second baby. In the last week my belly has been transformed from a little pudge to the point when people are asking when I am due.... so I know the official baby bump is here. However, this stage of pregnancy is still hard for me. I feel so in between. I feel chubby not pregnant. I feel self conscious because NO clothes really fit me right. I feel sick at times. But I know the time of pregnancy that I enjoy is coming- so that is what I am waiting for!

I love being really pregnant! Even when I was HUGE with Ivy, I wasn't self conscious at that point. I love when I can feel every movement of the baby... even when a swift kick in the ribs doesn't feel so good it is just peace knowing that you are providing a home for a baby. I love knowing if it is a boy or a girl. I love planning and imagining what life will be like for our family. This time I will get to day dream about Ivy as a big sister.... which is one of the most exciting aspects of being pregnant for the second time. These are the thoughts that are keeping me going, excited about what is coming next in this stage of pregnancy.

Some weird (or totally normal) things happening in this pregnancy:

* I am still feeling VERY sick at times but medicine helps if I am proactive in taking it.

* My energy is seeming to come back.

*I could eat an entire box of cereal each day. I love it!!

* I have been craving chicken.... I know that may seem crazy. I haven't eaten or even craved meat once in over a year but right now I want chicken. I am eating it because I assume I need protein, since EGGS and FISH (my normal protein) are a bit repulsing to me. My husband and child tend to look at me like I am a cave woman!

* I am not reading anything about pregnancy this time. That stuff scared me a little bit last time so I am just going with the flow.

* I have a list of baby names (boy and girl) but I think deep down we already have a favorite for both, but we aren't totally ready to commit.

* I plan on "naming" the baby when I have the ultrasound, something I DID NOT do last time but want to do for Ivy's sake this time. I want her to create an identity for the baby.

* Just like last time I was pregnant, my first gut feeling was boy but then it changed to girl after my first doctor's appointment. So that is my guess.... girl.

* My scale at home is broken and I am glad. I was obsessing over weight at the beginning because I was so huge with Ivy. However, I am trying to eat healthy this time and exercise a few times a week. And if I still get huge, then I know it's just my body.

* I am super excited about baby #2- and no matter how much I don't feel comfortable with this stage of pregnancy I would do it again and again and again and again... oh, we better stop right there!!

Motivation for a 2 year old....

Sometimes finding ways to motivate a 2 year old can be challenging.... They like to do it their way and for the most part they are stubborn. Well, talk about stubborn- this mommy is stubborn so it is my job to find ways to motivate my 2 year old along the way :) Here is our latest motivation story and then it is your job to tell me a way you motivate your kiddo, so that I can use your expertise the next time around!!

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So, Ivy has always been a good sleeper. She slept in her room, in her bed the first day home from the hospital (this may or may not be because she was 2 feet from us in our formally 900 sq. ft. townhouse). She slept through night at 8 weeks old and we really never had problems unless she was sick. This was until about November of this year.... yes, she was now 2 years old and letting a 2 year old cry it out was simply too difficult for me. She was sick for a little while and then our heat broke, so those were my excuses. We started bad habits of putting her in our bed, sometimes before midnight. Ladies, we have a full size bed... not large enough for 2 adults, 2 cats, and a squirmy 2 year old!! Two months passed by, we were tired and were experiencing the interrupted sleep of a newborn so we had to do something. So a sticker chart it was!!

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I got a 20 spot chart and filled it with rewards that she chose for every third day (you will see the picture rewards on the chart, that she didn't want to cover with stickers). She got things from m and m's, a trip to the dollar store, pink ice cream, and ending with a trip to Chuckee Cheese. This worked for Ivy like a charm! All but 2 days, in the stretch of 20 days, she earned a sticker. We were so proud of her and how well this worked for us. We talked the chart up and bragged on her, showing it off to family, friends, and her babysitter. This is the way we motivated her at night and it worked wonders, but where we struggle is motivating her to do things during the day. I am looking for ways to encourage her to help clean up her toys or to use good table manners! I would love to hear how you motivate your kiddos and maybe your way will work for us.

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day we didn't have any big plans.... but Ivy did!! She has been talking about her Valentine Party at Kristy's for a few weeks. They decorated boxes and made several Valentine crafts leading up to the big party on Thursday. Ivy excitedly picked out Littlest Pet Shop Valentine cards for her friends, choose smarties to give out with them, and then hand picked each specific animal for all of the kids at Kristy's. We spent the snow day making lady bug magnets for each Valentine and she had her Valentine shirt picked out for the special day! She was ready and so excited.... and honestly, Mommy had so much fun preparing as well. It made her seem so grown up :) Ivy came home on Thursday beaming with her Valentine's box in tow, we read each card again and again and enjoyed some candy too!

Making magnets :)

The finished Valentine... of course she wanted to show you Rhett's (because he is her best friend!)

Posing at the end of the day, with her box, her shirt (made by Kendra here), and it wouldn't be Ivy in the winter without a head full of staticky hair!

Baby Snail

We were excited to go to our first doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. Greg and I were able to catch a glimpse of our sweet baby #2, kicking it's little legs and waving it's arms. It was exciting. It had a very strong.... very fast.... heartbeat at 180!!! That is what Ivy's was almost exactly- if that means anything on predicting gender. We also found out that I am in fact nearing my 11th week of pregnancy rather than my 9th. Our new due date is September 8th.

We came home and were quick to show Ivy a picture of the growing baby. She took a second look and then simply decided that it wasn't a baby. We told her it would grow into a brother or sister and the next time we got to take a picture she would join us. This morning she seemed to have had a revelation when she came barreling into our room at 7:20 to announce that the picture was not a baby but instead a snail!! Thus the new name, Baby Snail! I can't say I don't see where she saw her little sibling as a snail and I think she will be pleasantly surprised at the next ultrasound when it looks like a little baby rather than a measly snail :)

I can hardly stand the wait of finding out whether Ivy will have a baby brother or a sister! But regardless, we will be absolutely elated!

My Husband Dearest....

My husband is a trooper! He works all day and comes home to enjoy a very tired, nauseous wife for about 30 minutes.... and then he so lovingly takes over all child-rearing duties until bed time. At this point Ivy wakes me out of my slumber to put her to bed and immediately afterwards I am either gagging or going back to bed. What a good husband he is!!!

And I have to say, Ivy doesn't play with Daddy in the same ways that Mommy plays. Ivy wants to climb all over him like he is her personal jungle gym. She wants him to chase her, tickle her, lift her, and I know it must be tiring. But does he complain, no, does he seem annoyed, no- never! I am just thankful for my husband dearest, I am realizing every day more and more that I have found a diamond in the rough! Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with an amazing husband and daddy for my many small children (one here, one on the way, and many in my mind)!!

Baby is a comin'.....

As many of you may have read on Facebook.... I am expecting baby #2! We are very excited and ready to see Ivy in the role of a big sister. Due to this pregnancy you may notice a slacking on the blog posts... to be honest, I am sick sick sick this time around. I have all day sickness that peaks between the hours of 4pm and 9pm-- LOVELY! However, I know that be pregnant is such a blessing and will be worth every downfall that pregnancy includes :) I am hoping that in the next few weeks I will start to be on the up and up. I am a little over 8 weeks along, and due in mid-September. We are ecstatic about our newest addition and would love for you to join us in praying for a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy.

Boy or Girl? We really would not care either way. I would love for Ivy to experience the joy of having a sister, something I never had. But I would love to have a little boy who will enjoy many fishing extravaganzas with his Daddy and hopefully at the end of the day, would be a mama's boy! We are already taking bets..... so far 100% of the voters say "It's a boy!" What do you think?