:: written at 25 weeks, 2 days along, Barrett is 3 years old::
How sad is it that I don't even know how far along I am anymore. I had to go back to a calendar and count out the weeks. Ha! Haven't taken a belly picture since like 17ish weeks along.
I last updated with the news that we have a sister coming! Barrett has really gotten on board with this and will gladly answer "Baby Sister!" when anyone asks what is in Mommy's tummy. He is going to call her that for the rest of his life, I think because he won't even contemplate the thought that she will have another name. I went through all of Barrett's clothes up to 12 months and picked out what I could save. I got an okay amount but not a ton. Our biggest problem was having weather appropriate sizes. It makes a difference when they are completely opposite seasons. I think once we get to 18+ months I will be able to reuse a larger amount because Barrett has stayed in sizes much longer. Baby Landry got a big pile of new stuff to wear!
The biggest update I have (not so surprising) is that I tested positive for gestational diabetes again. I was pretty sure I would fail the 1 hour test after having it with Barrett so when they called to say I failed it big time, I wasn't too terribly surprised. I would usually have to take the 3 hour test but doc is bypassing that and just sending me to endocrinology. No sense in wasting time when I obviously have a problem processing carbs. Better to be safe than sorry. I would have really liked to get through the holidays and our vacation but I will try to make it work. I haven't officially met with the endo yet (appt set for 27 weeks) but I have started to follow the GD friendly meal plan I used with Barrett. I kind of remember what carbs worked for me and what didn't so I am just trying to be as conscious about everything I eat as I can be. I'll do a more specific update on this separately.
How am I feeling? Okay. I have it really easy for the most part. Prior to about 18 weeks, everything was really perfect. No changes to mention for the most part. I sleep a lot and that didn't end when I got to the second trimester. No big deal. I keep thinking I'll get that surge of energy and it hasn't quite hit yet. Well, now I know that it is likely because my sugars are all over the place. I was so hyperglycemic at my appointment that I've probably been fluctuating hyper and hypo constantly. No wonder I'm so tired. I really just attributed this to being a little older the second time around and having to tackle a 3 year old on top of working full time. Add in my after effects of being sick last year and my body isn't going to be the same, but the GD should explain some of that.
I've already noticed a difference in overall feeling better since I started meal tracking. Don't get me wrong, I'm hungry all the time but I'm not so sluggish anymore. Sitting at my desk for almost 9 hours is starting to be a little uncomfortable. The 14 hour drive to Orlando will be interesting as well. I might be pretty sore when we arrive. I've stepped up my water intake even more and my peeing is out of control but I can still will myself to get through most of the night without getting up. Score! Now, if Barrett could put a hold on the 3am wake ups to pee in the potty, that would be a little nice. Overall, nothing too crazy to deal with though.
My linea negra is barely showing and my belly button is con-caving just a bit. Not popped yet but getting flatter by the day. I have no idea if I have stretch marks because I was loaded already from when I was sick in the hospital. I'll say no because most of them are really light and faded. Shoes still fit good and we'll see if that sticks. I was in flip flops mostly last time and didn't notice a size change but wearing boots most days might be different to deal with at 9 months pregnant. Still no heartburn, braxton hikes or round ligament pain to note. Holiday season is ramping up with only 1 week to go until Christmas. I have very few days left to work this year and then will be off for 10 days for vacation. When I come back, I'll only have about 6 weeks of work left which is super exciting! We've already started the application process to fill my job and I'll be helping with interviews which is already appearing to be quite interesting.
Let's keep the time moving!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
20 week appt and anatomy scan
20 weeks, 4 days along, Barrett is 3 years old
And now you should know that it's a GIRL!
We had our 20 week appointment scheduled for Nov 12. Joe was in the entrance waiting for me when I got to the doctors office at 2:30. Quick check in (and new questions pertaining to spread of Ebola) and we hung out in the waiting room waiting to be called back to anatomy scan. It was a few minutes later and Ashley called us back.
I had drank a bunch of water prior because I knew I wanted a full bladder but of course, I drank so much I was really full and asked to use the bathroom quick. Ashley asked me to hold off which was okay for a little while. She first asked if we were wanting to find out gender and we explained that we wanted her to seal it in an envelope for us to find out later. When we did that with Barrett, it wasn't incredible common yet but right away she asked if we were doing a reveal party. Pinterest era!
So she got to work and started to work on getting all those little measurements. First was quickly checking out the placenta. I am posterior and everything checked out fine. Next was the brain and the baby was moving quite a bit at this point so she took a little longer. She eventually got it and moved onto the head before skipping that because the baby was moving too much. So far, every tech we've had has said to get our running shoes on because this kid is a mover. Honestly, s/he cannot be worse than Barrett. Better not be!
She quickly got good views of the spine and arms and legs and hands and feet. We got shots of the profile and she was able to see the 2 arteries and 1 vein in the umbilical cord easily. All good there.
She measured the stomach and moved onto the kidneys. This part was hard during Barrett's ultrasound and she said they are very hard to spot. She froze on the screen quickly and to us there was nothing there but squiggly lines but apparently the kidneys were there somewhere as she got her measurements. Lastly, she measured the 4 chambers of the heart and the various arteries and veins going in and out. Heartbeat was 153 which is about as high as it's been. Usually it's in the 140s. I referenced Barrett's heartbeats and most were in the 140s as well. Yet another checkmark on why I think it's another boy.
Lastly, Ashley had us close our eyes so he could determine gender. It only took maybe 3ish minutes so not sure if that makes me think boy or girl. We wrapped up and she remembered she hadn't managed to get the head measures so we went back to get that. Baby T passed everything well.
I sent Joe home since I just had a quick follow up with Dr Bennett. No sense in him sitting around for that. It was quick that I was called back by a nurse who was way on the other side of the waiting room. I know that Dr Bennett is in the A wing and on the left side so I must have made a weird face. The nurse must have caught on because she mentioned going back to see Dr Haney. Ugh, okay? I usually see Bennett but no big deal. She was confused too and got me into the room before calling down to Bennett's wing. They somehow messed up my chart and I was on Bennett's schedule but put in Haney's pile. No biggie, they sent me down the hall to nurse Christi where Dr Bennett was ready for me.
We did weight first and I'm up 2 pounds. Totally thought it would be more so I'll take it. Blood pressure was 107/82 and urine was good. Doc measured me (average) and we discussed a few of our birth plans. Epidural? Yes. VBac? No. Circumcision if baby is male? Yes. Nothing major. They sent me off to schedule my next appointment and my one hour glucose for December. Luckily, I'm making it through Thanksgiving before my restrictions begin.
For the record, Joe started leaning towards girl after the ultrasound and I'm still strongly in the boy camp. I'd say they are opposite of our preferences (I'm leaning girl and Joe is leaning boy) but both options will be great. Barrett says girl every time he is asked so we will see!
And now you should know that it's a GIRL!
Saturday, November 22, 2014
20-21 weeks with Baby T 2.0
written at 21 weeks, 2 days along, Barrett is 3 years old
We are more than halfway there! Time is flying, you guys. Now you know that we are having a girl so I can start referring to her as a she instead of a s/he! That's always exciting.
Status quo around here for the most part. Something that happened a few weeks ago that isn't really pregnancy related but I got my first bout of pink eye. An awful experience at prompt care (again) but meds were had and it cleared up pretty easily and quickly. I still only have two real symptoms that are worth noting, exhaustion/insomnia and itchiness.
The exhaustion isn't too bad that I'm not getting things accomplished but going to sleep by 8pm and waking up at 6:30am is a little crazy. This is every night. I am waiting for that second trimester energy to kick in. Along, with this I have insane insomnia. Anywhere from 1-5am, I am tossing and turning. I don't even have to wake up to pee at all. I'm usually woken up by Barrett (who is completely incapable of sleeping through the night) and then my mind cannot stop racing about whatever. I usually get my phone out and browse the web to get my brain to shut down. I guess that's why I'm going to sleep before 8pm every night!
And the itchiness! Again, so bad at night while I'm tossing and turning. Joe hates going to bed at the same time as me because I'm a nutcase. I think it's a total mental thing but I cannot stop. It doesn't help that my skin gets dry during the winter. Speaking of winter, I am already struggling to fit into my main winter coat. I have my nicer one that would probably still fit but I prefer not to wear that to work and on a normal basis. I know most people hate being pregnant in the summer because of the heat but I am not super thrilled with this cold. I have to have way more clothes to layer and keep me warm and it looks like I'm going to have to spring for a maternity coat. In the summer, I could wear all my normal dresses!
Just like with Barrett, this week was the first purchase made for baby sister. I found crib sheets on clearance at Pottery Barn that will work great for the nursery and I went to town on Etsy for headbands. I'll probably get the changing pad covers (found at Land of Nod) soon and pretend it's all from Santa. I might as well spread out all of our purchases!
Probably the next big project is to figure out what we are going to name this girl!
We are more than halfway there! Time is flying, you guys. Now you know that we are having a girl so I can start referring to her as a she instead of a s/he! That's always exciting.
Status quo around here for the most part. Something that happened a few weeks ago that isn't really pregnancy related but I got my first bout of pink eye. An awful experience at prompt care (again) but meds were had and it cleared up pretty easily and quickly. I still only have two real symptoms that are worth noting, exhaustion/insomnia and itchiness.
The exhaustion isn't too bad that I'm not getting things accomplished but going to sleep by 8pm and waking up at 6:30am is a little crazy. This is every night. I am waiting for that second trimester energy to kick in. Along, with this I have insane insomnia. Anywhere from 1-5am, I am tossing and turning. I don't even have to wake up to pee at all. I'm usually woken up by Barrett (who is completely incapable of sleeping through the night) and then my mind cannot stop racing about whatever. I usually get my phone out and browse the web to get my brain to shut down. I guess that's why I'm going to sleep before 8pm every night!
And the itchiness! Again, so bad at night while I'm tossing and turning. Joe hates going to bed at the same time as me because I'm a nutcase. I think it's a total mental thing but I cannot stop. It doesn't help that my skin gets dry during the winter. Speaking of winter, I am already struggling to fit into my main winter coat. I have my nicer one that would probably still fit but I prefer not to wear that to work and on a normal basis. I know most people hate being pregnant in the summer because of the heat but I am not super thrilled with this cold. I have to have way more clothes to layer and keep me warm and it looks like I'm going to have to spring for a maternity coat. In the summer, I could wear all my normal dresses!
Just like with Barrett, this week was the first purchase made for baby sister. I found crib sheets on clearance at Pottery Barn that will work great for the nursery and I went to town on Etsy for headbands. I'll probably get the changing pad covers (found at Land of Nod) soon and pretend it's all from Santa. I might as well spread out all of our purchases!
Probably the next big project is to figure out what we are going to name this girl!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
17-19 weeks with Baby T 2.0
Written 19 weeks, 3 days along. Barrett is 3 years old.
This weeks picture is a big barf. I need a serious cut/color.
I haven't written about my latest doctor appointment. It was one of the boring ones. I weighed the exact same as my starting weight and blood pressure was normal. This was 3 weeks ago so I'm going to guess that I'm officially in the positive under weight gain. No sugars or protein in my urine and doctor says everything looks good. We confirmed that I will deliver at Memorial like I did with Barrett. Love her laid back attitude. I will also take my glucose test two weeks after Thanksgiving so it may be my last pig out day before I start back on my grilled meat and veggie diet. I've noticed that sugar stuff tastes REALLY sugary lately that I can't eat too much of it but I don't know if that means anything.
Week 17 was a little significant in that I started feeling the baby move. It's just little jabs but definitely unmistakeable after you've done this once before.
Week 18, Joe was able to feel him/her from the outside which seems to be earlier than with Barrett. I need to reference the blog to see if I'm way off on that assessment. He's only felt him the one time but I can feel from the outside too while sitting at my desk so I'm sure he will catch it again soon.
Barrett still has no interest in my stomach. I asked him last week what was in my tummy and he actually said a baby instead of completely ignoring me like normal. I also asked him if it was a boy or girl and he said girl. He's completely wrong though because I'm positive it's a boy but we will see.
Speaking of gender, we have our anatomy scan on Wednesday. We are going to wait and find out with the rest of our family and friends and our schedule is such that we have to wait another 2 weeks. We're patient so I can handle that. Good timing just before Thanksgiving. But like I said, it's a boy.
I'll try to update next week after our big ultrasound! I'll officially be halfway done! 113 days left of work...not that I'm counting or anything. :)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
15-16 weeks with Baby T 2.0
written at 15 weeks, 4 days along, Barrett is 3 years old
First up on the update list is my sleep patterns. Early bedtime still and then waking at like 2am with awful insomnia. I end up tossing and turning, scrolling through Facebook and reading to get me to snap out of it. I do not wake up restful (even though I'm getting enough hours) because it's so segmented. Let's also mention the starting of vivid dreams. Nothing worthy to note, but they just seem very real. I've got to get back on the daily banana kick too because I had my first charlie horse last week. I did not miss those! Seriously, one of my most remembered pain from my entire pregnancy with Barrett. Those things hurt!
I have my next doctor appointment next week and I'm anxious for it. This is a long stretch without a visit and it will be good to get an update on how everything is going. According to my calculations, I'm down 4 lbs but we'll see what the doctor scale says. I'm not eating many large meals and lots more snacking so the weight loss doesn't surprise me. I lost a bunch with B too so I think it's just the way my body does this. Belly button is already starting to morph a bit. It never quite went back to where it was before so I'm not surprised it's started stretching already.
I started a "need to purchase" list for everything new I need to get for the baby. There isn't much on it, mostly nursery things, like dresser, bookcase, new humidifier, etc. I need to figure out a sleeping plan for our room still. We used the Pack n Play last time and always transferred it from my parents and back home. That sounds so unappealing this time so I might just get a Rock n Play until we move him/her into the crib. That way we can keep the PNP at my parents full time. We'll see.
Speaking of nursery, I'm pretty sure I've decided nursery "theme." It's gender neutral so it won't matter if baby turns out to be a boy or girl. I think it will be February before we start working in there but here's a hint.
I'm publishing this at 16 weeks, 3 days along so I've caught up!
First up on the update list is my sleep patterns. Early bedtime still and then waking at like 2am with awful insomnia. I end up tossing and turning, scrolling through Facebook and reading to get me to snap out of it. I do not wake up restful (even though I'm getting enough hours) because it's so segmented. Let's also mention the starting of vivid dreams. Nothing worthy to note, but they just seem very real. I've got to get back on the daily banana kick too because I had my first charlie horse last week. I did not miss those! Seriously, one of my most remembered pain from my entire pregnancy with Barrett. Those things hurt!
I have my next doctor appointment next week and I'm anxious for it. This is a long stretch without a visit and it will be good to get an update on how everything is going. According to my calculations, I'm down 4 lbs but we'll see what the doctor scale says. I'm not eating many large meals and lots more snacking so the weight loss doesn't surprise me. I lost a bunch with B too so I think it's just the way my body does this. Belly button is already starting to morph a bit. It never quite went back to where it was before so I'm not surprised it's started stretching already.
I started a "need to purchase" list for everything new I need to get for the baby. There isn't much on it, mostly nursery things, like dresser, bookcase, new humidifier, etc. I need to figure out a sleeping plan for our room still. We used the Pack n Play last time and always transferred it from my parents and back home. That sounds so unappealing this time so I might just get a Rock n Play until we move him/her into the crib. That way we can keep the PNP at my parents full time. We'll see.
Speaking of nursery, I'm pretty sure I've decided nursery "theme." It's gender neutral so it won't matter if baby turns out to be a boy or girl. I think it will be February before we start working in there but here's a hint.
I'm publishing this at 16 weeks, 3 days along so I've caught up!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
13-14 weeks with Baby T 2.0
written 13 weeks, 6 days along, Barrett is 2 years, 11 months old
So these are just going to be about every two weeks and my perfectionism is going to have to deal with it. I'm about 2 weeks behind publishing these because I can't get my act together and upload pictures.
Time is rolling right along here. I really have very little to say at this point. I've hit the second trimester and still waiting for that burst of energy to hit. Bedtime is ridiculously early. My tiredness is almost the only symptom to make note of. I sit at a desk all day and come home and want to park my butt down on the couch. The tension headaches started up again which happened about now with Barrett's pregnancy. It's kind of crazy how similar they are so far. I will tell everyone who asks that it's going to be a boy until I get proof otherwise because they are so similar.
No real cravings still. I've had a carton of ice cream in our freezer for over 3 months which is like insane if you know me. If I'm craving anything, it's heavy comfort food type stuff that is not good for me. No doctor appointment for another 2 weeks so we're just cruising right along.
So these are just going to be about every two weeks and my perfectionism is going to have to deal with it. I'm about 2 weeks behind publishing these because I can't get my act together and upload pictures.
Time is rolling right along here. I really have very little to say at this point. I've hit the second trimester and still waiting for that burst of energy to hit. Bedtime is ridiculously early. My tiredness is almost the only symptom to make note of. I sit at a desk all day and come home and want to park my butt down on the couch. The tension headaches started up again which happened about now with Barrett's pregnancy. It's kind of crazy how similar they are so far. I will tell everyone who asks that it's going to be a boy until I get proof otherwise because they are so similar.
No real cravings still. I've had a carton of ice cream in our freezer for over 3 months which is like insane if you know me. If I'm craving anything, it's heavy comfort food type stuff that is not good for me. No doctor appointment for another 2 weeks so we're just cruising right along.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Barrett is THREE!
Gosh, how do I even start this post? There is so much to write but I'll try to not be too long winded. It already takes me hours to write these as it is!
Barrett has such an over the top personality. Everyone says he looks like his dad and for those that know him know that he has a strong personality like him too. He is very loud and strong willed and bossy. He is usually a people person and loves to say hi to all the moms and dads as he leaves daycare. Ironically, he is very cautious of strangers though. He still wants to be carried places because he doesn't want to venture far from Joe or I. Not sure how long that is going to last. I want that phase to be over but I know I'll miss the time he stops asking to be picked up too. He's freaking heavy though!
Buddy also tests us because he wants to be Mr Independent at times (No, I do it!) and others he is so incredibly needy. He wants people to do anything and everything for him and he usually gets his way if he tries hard enough. He would be happy doing two things. 1. being outside playing. Either swimming, golfing, kicking a ball, chasing bubbles, swinging, riding golf carts or some other sport related activity. 2. Watching a Disney movie. Kid does not watch tv anymore unless it's a Disney movie. Totally my fault but he's only watched 1 other movie (to my knowledge and it was Despicable Me). We are gearing up for his first trip to Disney World in 3 months.
The trait he most resembles from me is my perfectionism. He does not like to fail. It is very VERY strong. He wants to be perfect at everything on the first try. If he gets a new toy and he can't quite figure it out, major screaming and tantrums commence! I'm not quite that much of a baby but I like to succeed and be in control. He hates to be not in control. Speaking of me, he is very attached at the moment. I'm not sure if it's because he knows he will be vying for my attention soon but I cannot go many places without him. If he knows that he is leaving the house or that I am leaving the house, he is very adamant that "Mommy go with me" or "I go with Mommy." He has to practically sit on top of me if we are on the couch and wants to be held while I make dinner. He has certain books that I read to him and certain ones that his Dad get to read to him.
Barett is very much a creature of habit and he hates to share. The latter is a great sense of stress for me. He is so territorial and bossy and strong willed (hmmmm Joe). He loves doing art projects and learning his letters. Helicopters and airplanes are like the holy grail in our house right now. He is a wannabe gymnasts who is constantly flipping and jumping and climbing all over. He basically stands to eat because he can't ever sit still. Everyone new that meets him asks if he always has this much energy and the answer is yes. He's incredibly exhausting but hopefully that will be a good trait to have in the future.
My least favorite traits are that he has selective hearing and is still what I call a "runner." He does not go anywhere without holding my hand and by holding my hand I mean that I hold it in a death grip so he doesn't go sprinting in some direction. If I didn't think they were the worst things ever, he would be one of those kids in a leash. He is getting better but the kid just has a real need to constantly be moving. I'm totally serious when I admit that he will probably be diagnosed with ADHD. I know he's only three but I know so many other kids his age and even younger who can sit and play and you know…act normal. Barrett is incredibly smart and I think because of that he gets bored and loses attention very easily.
Little man's eating habits are pretty in line with what they've been for close to a year. He could pretty much snack and eat like 8 teeny meals a day and be happy. If you asked what he wanted to eat, 98% of the time, it's "chickens" and french fries. About 80% of those times, he would take 5 bites out of that meal. He is a grazer. He knibbles and then leaves to do something and comes back eventually to eat some more and do it again. (See no attention span.) It's a battle I do not fight anymore.
Bubs has brown eyes and blondish/brown hair. I don't quite know what he weighs but I'm guessing it's close to 33lbs and he's about 37" tall. He still sucks his two fingers on his left hand when he's tired and is very very attached to his blankie. He is doing well with potty training. About a week ago, he had 3 straight accidents at school and he had never had one there before. Not sure what the deal was because we know he can hold it. He goes to bed in underwear and has never had a nap or nighttime accident. (This is totally going to come back to haunt me.) He does not want to be asked or forced to go to the potty. He has to initiate it. His accidents happen when he holds it too long and then decides it's time and he can't quite make it. He's not at all poop trained. Just the last few days, he tells us he has to go and tries but only rarely makes it happen. We won't push and wait until he takes the lead to figure it out himself.
He moved to the "big room" at school and loves it. His newest head teacher is Ms Jesse and we all absolutely love her. I've loved all his teachers but she is so incredibly awesome. Knows exactly what he needs when he's clingy to me in the mornings and has such great activities planned for them each day. She will be his last head teacher before he stays home with me which means I'm going to have some big shoes to fill to keep him engaged and entertained during the day. We also must say hello to Ms Kelsey every morning before we head to the big room.
His favorite place to be is Grandma and Grandpa's. He would swing for an hour straight if you kept pushing him high enough. We listen to "Seize the Day" from the Newsies at least 10 times a day. He goes to bed like a breeze usually but we're lucky if he makes it to 5am. He is scared of practically everything. He is currently hating all baths. He gives the best little kisses and very rarely says no to a hug. He needs a new bandaid for some random owie every day. Can never have too many bandaids!
A few firsts this year:
First plane ride and vacation
First trip to the zoo
He just became a cousin! He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. 3 years is a long time to be the center of attention!
I did a quick survey and asked him to answer some questions. A few of the answers surprised me.
Favorite color: green
Favorite movie: Cars
Favorite food: suckers
Favorite drink: lemonade
Best friend: Keagan is my best friend.
Where does daddy go to work: his car
Favorite tv show: Dora
Favorite thing to play with at school: colors
He's our bossy, funny, challenging, loud, smart, energetic firecracker and we wouldn't change him for the world!
Barrett has such an over the top personality. Everyone says he looks like his dad and for those that know him know that he has a strong personality like him too. He is very loud and strong willed and bossy. He is usually a people person and loves to say hi to all the moms and dads as he leaves daycare. Ironically, he is very cautious of strangers though. He still wants to be carried places because he doesn't want to venture far from Joe or I. Not sure how long that is going to last. I want that phase to be over but I know I'll miss the time he stops asking to be picked up too. He's freaking heavy though!
Buddy also tests us because he wants to be Mr Independent at times (No, I do it!) and others he is so incredibly needy. He wants people to do anything and everything for him and he usually gets his way if he tries hard enough. He would be happy doing two things. 1. being outside playing. Either swimming, golfing, kicking a ball, chasing bubbles, swinging, riding golf carts or some other sport related activity. 2. Watching a Disney movie. Kid does not watch tv anymore unless it's a Disney movie. Totally my fault but he's only watched 1 other movie (to my knowledge and it was Despicable Me). We are gearing up for his first trip to Disney World in 3 months.
The trait he most resembles from me is my perfectionism. He does not like to fail. It is very VERY strong. He wants to be perfect at everything on the first try. If he gets a new toy and he can't quite figure it out, major screaming and tantrums commence! I'm not quite that much of a baby but I like to succeed and be in control. He hates to be not in control. Speaking of me, he is very attached at the moment. I'm not sure if it's because he knows he will be vying for my attention soon but I cannot go many places without him. If he knows that he is leaving the house or that I am leaving the house, he is very adamant that "Mommy go with me" or "I go with Mommy." He has to practically sit on top of me if we are on the couch and wants to be held while I make dinner. He has certain books that I read to him and certain ones that his Dad get to read to him.
Barett is very much a creature of habit and he hates to share. The latter is a great sense of stress for me. He is so territorial and bossy and strong willed (hmmmm Joe). He loves doing art projects and learning his letters. Helicopters and airplanes are like the holy grail in our house right now. He is a wannabe gymnasts who is constantly flipping and jumping and climbing all over. He basically stands to eat because he can't ever sit still. Everyone new that meets him asks if he always has this much energy and the answer is yes. He's incredibly exhausting but hopefully that will be a good trait to have in the future.
My least favorite traits are that he has selective hearing and is still what I call a "runner." He does not go anywhere without holding my hand and by holding my hand I mean that I hold it in a death grip so he doesn't go sprinting in some direction. If I didn't think they were the worst things ever, he would be one of those kids in a leash. He is getting better but the kid just has a real need to constantly be moving. I'm totally serious when I admit that he will probably be diagnosed with ADHD. I know he's only three but I know so many other kids his age and even younger who can sit and play and you know…act normal. Barrett is incredibly smart and I think because of that he gets bored and loses attention very easily.
Little man's eating habits are pretty in line with what they've been for close to a year. He could pretty much snack and eat like 8 teeny meals a day and be happy. If you asked what he wanted to eat, 98% of the time, it's "chickens" and french fries. About 80% of those times, he would take 5 bites out of that meal. He is a grazer. He knibbles and then leaves to do something and comes back eventually to eat some more and do it again. (See no attention span.) It's a battle I do not fight anymore.
Bubs has brown eyes and blondish/brown hair. I don't quite know what he weighs but I'm guessing it's close to 33lbs and he's about 37" tall. He still sucks his two fingers on his left hand when he's tired and is very very attached to his blankie. He is doing well with potty training. About a week ago, he had 3 straight accidents at school and he had never had one there before. Not sure what the deal was because we know he can hold it. He goes to bed in underwear and has never had a nap or nighttime accident. (This is totally going to come back to haunt me.) He does not want to be asked or forced to go to the potty. He has to initiate it. His accidents happen when he holds it too long and then decides it's time and he can't quite make it. He's not at all poop trained. Just the last few days, he tells us he has to go and tries but only rarely makes it happen. We won't push and wait until he takes the lead to figure it out himself.
He moved to the "big room" at school and loves it. His newest head teacher is Ms Jesse and we all absolutely love her. I've loved all his teachers but she is so incredibly awesome. Knows exactly what he needs when he's clingy to me in the mornings and has such great activities planned for them each day. She will be his last head teacher before he stays home with me which means I'm going to have some big shoes to fill to keep him engaged and entertained during the day. We also must say hello to Ms Kelsey every morning before we head to the big room.
His favorite place to be is Grandma and Grandpa's. He would swing for an hour straight if you kept pushing him high enough. We listen to "Seize the Day" from the Newsies at least 10 times a day. He goes to bed like a breeze usually but we're lucky if he makes it to 5am. He is scared of practically everything. He is currently hating all baths. He gives the best little kisses and very rarely says no to a hug. He needs a new bandaid for some random owie every day. Can never have too many bandaids!
A few firsts this year:
First plane ride and vacation
First trip to the zoo
He just became a cousin! He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. 3 years is a long time to be the center of attention!
I did a quick survey and asked him to answer some questions. A few of the answers surprised me.
Favorite color: green
Favorite movie: Cars
Favorite food: suckers
Favorite drink: lemonade
Best friend: Keagan is my best friend.
Where does daddy go to work: his car
Favorite tv show: Dora
Favorite thing to play with at school: colors
He's our bossy, funny, challenging, loud, smart, energetic firecracker and we wouldn't change him for the world!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
11 and 12 weeks with Baby T 2.0
written 12 weeks, 3 days along, Barrett is 2 years, 11 months old
Catching up!
I don't have many updates from this week to document. I also won't have a bump picture. Joe is gone all week at work training and I was too lazy to get out the tripod. Pretend that weeks 11 and 12 are pretty much the same in size.
I've started to get out of the mega fatigue state this week. Don't get me wrong I'm still lazy and going to bed before 9pm but I'm also able to clean the kitchen and make a real meal if I must. Getting crazy! Speaking of food, my aversion to PBJ is still pretty strong and I still have a pretty small appetite. What I manage to eat is about 75% junk. I want french fries and Jimmy Johns and pizza and crap. It's either eat nothing or that junk which is an interesting position to be in. Ironically, I have very little craving for sweets (so unlike me!). I don't remember having any super cravings or aversions with Barrett.
Instead of doing a separate doctor visit post, I'll talk about our 12 week appt and sonogram here. We were doing the genetic testing, pretty much only because it allows us another ultrasound to check out the kid. Unfortunately, it has to be done within like a 5 day span which fell on the same week that Joe would be out of town. I headed over there today and pretty quickly was called back by one of my favorite sonographers from last time (whose name I don't remember). We got to it pretty quickly and almost immediately saw the heartbeat. This was really all I wanted and even though I couldn't hear it, I felt much more at ease. It was going strong at 152bpm. This is a really great ultrasound because the baby looks like a real person! Arms and legs and a defined head and face profile. The genetic testing we were doing was the fetal nuchal transparency test which measures the space in the spine on the back of the neck. The kid was moving around like nobody's business so our tech was having a hard time getting he/she in the right spot to get a good picture for the measurements. Eventually, she had me do my urine sample and come back in the hopes that it would settle the baby down. Thankfully, that ended up working but not exactly how she wanted because she wasn't able to get a perfect reading. She managed to get a pretty good one that they will use to determine the testing but maybe not. The policy is that her and the other techs will all review the findings and decide if it is worthy enough of submission. If not, they still take a blood screening to check for abnormalities but they prefer to combine the blood and the spine measurements before determining results. Honestly, I could care less about the results so we'll see what they determine when I go back in a few weeks.
Dr Bennett ended up being pretty swamped this day as almost all the other doctors got pulled in to do deliveries so she was covering patients for some others. I really was fine with not going back to the office so I surfed my phone for a bit before getting called back by nurse Deborah. They took my weight which was down 1 pound from last visit. Blood pressure and urine were normal. Dr Bennett was in pretty quickly and we reviewed a few things. We discussed that my A1C did end up fine so she wasn't worried about my sugars yet. She asked if I still had my acucheck reader because there is a chance that if I still pass my one hour test in a few months that she will have me randomly check my sugars to make sure that I don't develop gestational after they do the test. Nothing big to worry about yet. It was mostly a quick in and out before heading back over to do blood work.
I go back in a month for a quick check up and likely get the results of our testing then. I haven't scheduled our big ultrasound but it looks to be shortly before Thanksgiving is when we can (hopefully) find out the sex of the baby. We're moving right along!
Catching up!
I don't have many updates from this week to document. I also won't have a bump picture. Joe is gone all week at work training and I was too lazy to get out the tripod. Pretend that weeks 11 and 12 are pretty much the same in size.
I've started to get out of the mega fatigue state this week. Don't get me wrong I'm still lazy and going to bed before 9pm but I'm also able to clean the kitchen and make a real meal if I must. Getting crazy! Speaking of food, my aversion to PBJ is still pretty strong and I still have a pretty small appetite. What I manage to eat is about 75% junk. I want french fries and Jimmy Johns and pizza and crap. It's either eat nothing or that junk which is an interesting position to be in. Ironically, I have very little craving for sweets (so unlike me!). I don't remember having any super cravings or aversions with Barrett.
Instead of doing a separate doctor visit post, I'll talk about our 12 week appt and sonogram here. We were doing the genetic testing, pretty much only because it allows us another ultrasound to check out the kid. Unfortunately, it has to be done within like a 5 day span which fell on the same week that Joe would be out of town. I headed over there today and pretty quickly was called back by one of my favorite sonographers from last time (whose name I don't remember). We got to it pretty quickly and almost immediately saw the heartbeat. This was really all I wanted and even though I couldn't hear it, I felt much more at ease. It was going strong at 152bpm. This is a really great ultrasound because the baby looks like a real person! Arms and legs and a defined head and face profile. The genetic testing we were doing was the fetal nuchal transparency test which measures the space in the spine on the back of the neck. The kid was moving around like nobody's business so our tech was having a hard time getting he/she in the right spot to get a good picture for the measurements. Eventually, she had me do my urine sample and come back in the hopes that it would settle the baby down. Thankfully, that ended up working but not exactly how she wanted because she wasn't able to get a perfect reading. She managed to get a pretty good one that they will use to determine the testing but maybe not. The policy is that her and the other techs will all review the findings and decide if it is worthy enough of submission. If not, they still take a blood screening to check for abnormalities but they prefer to combine the blood and the spine measurements before determining results. Honestly, I could care less about the results so we'll see what they determine when I go back in a few weeks.
Dr Bennett ended up being pretty swamped this day as almost all the other doctors got pulled in to do deliveries so she was covering patients for some others. I really was fine with not going back to the office so I surfed my phone for a bit before getting called back by nurse Deborah. They took my weight which was down 1 pound from last visit. Blood pressure and urine were normal. Dr Bennett was in pretty quickly and we reviewed a few things. We discussed that my A1C did end up fine so she wasn't worried about my sugars yet. She asked if I still had my acucheck reader because there is a chance that if I still pass my one hour test in a few months that she will have me randomly check my sugars to make sure that I don't develop gestational after they do the test. Nothing big to worry about yet. It was mostly a quick in and out before heading back over to do blood work.
I go back in a month for a quick check up and likely get the results of our testing then. I haven't scheduled our big ultrasound but it looks to be shortly before Thanksgiving is when we can (hopefully) find out the sex of the baby. We're moving right along!
Friday, September 26, 2014
10 weeks with Baby T 2.0
written at 10 weeks, 3 days, Barrett is 2 years, 10 months old
Just another week in the books and I already want to kick my butt for writing these weekly with Barrett. No way can I gip #2 so weekly posts it is!
I'm still feeling pretty good for the most part. Bedtime is EARLY and laziness factor is there but it is getting better. I've been able to make dinner a few nights this week which was an improvement to my straight-to-the-couch need the weeks prior. Joe's been busy with house things (yardwork and new swing set building) though so I've sort of had to take the reigns and make dinner if we wanted to eat at a decent time.
I had my one puking incident a day last week when Joe had to leave for work early. He put on a bit more cologne than I would have preferred. I usually like the smell but for whatever reason it was so overpowering that I could not hold it in. This was still back when I was feeling a little queasy most mornings and evenings but that has seemed to dissipate.
We told all of our families two weeks ago and got mostly shocked reactions. Barrett wore a big brother shirt while we made the rounds to most everyone. We texted extended families and were lucky to see a large majority of friends at a wedding this past weekend so we could tell them in person. At this point, I'm hoping to tell my boss tomorrow and we will have let a majority of everyone know. I'll wait before taking it to social media until after our next sono in a few weeks.
I guess I should mention our first doctor visit. The office moved locations in June so this was my first time going to this new building. I got to see many familiar faces at check in and was taken back to the ultrasound room after a short wait. It took her no time to get her measurements, maybe 10 minutes, and a easy viewing of the heartbeat which was steady at 175. We printed pictures and were pretty much on our way. It was much faster than I remember our first one last time but I guess that's good that it was easy to get everything they needed. I did the normal pee in a cup and then back to wait to be called to see Dr. Bennett.
Brittany, my favorite nurse from last time, called us back to the consultation room. We had about 4947839 questions to answer which were mostly review from last time that they were able to pull from my chart. (No, I do not do drugs. No, I do not smoke. No, I do not drink.) We recapped my pregnancy and labor with Barrett and discussed a few things. I also had to give a full rundown of my medical history from last year as none of that was in my chart. I'll pause here to say that this shouldn't have a big effect on how things are going to go but my body has since taken a beating and gets tired easily still so it's something to keep note and be aware of. I also got the clearance to travel to Disney when I'm 27 weeks so :)
Brittany moved us to the exam room and did the usual check ups. We'll say I've neither gained or lost weight as it was the same weight I took at home when I got my positive pregnancy test. My home scale actually says that I've lost 3 pounds though so we'll see where I'm at during the next visit on which scale I'm going to go by. I do not remember exactly blood pressure but Brittany said "great" so yeah. Dr. Bennett came in shortly and after a quick recap and overview of things, she did a super fun pap before going into information on where to go from here in terms of gestational diabetes since I had that with Barrett. She pretty much confirmed my thoughts in that I don't have to do anything different but to try to be conscious of what I'm eating to prepare my body in case I get another positive results. I do not have to get tested earlier than normal so I won't have to be super strict about it just yet. I'm actually completely fine with getting it a second time because I was able to keep it in check strictly through diet and it allowed me more sonograms to see the baby! Won't complain about that! I also think it really helped keep my health and weight in check last time and it wouldn't hurt to have the same again. Remind me that I said that when I can't eat pasta anymore!!
We wrapped things up and I sent Joe on his way while I went to get my blood drawn. This is second nature to me as I've had to get it drawn regularly for over a year. No biggie! One extra thing they are checking is my A1C which is my blood sugar from the last like 3 years or something. If I failed that, Doc was going to call because they would have sent me straight to the endocrinologist to get my diet going. Thankfully, no call means no problem.
We wait two weeks for the next sono which I'm looking forward too as you really get to check out the kid. Onward!
Just another week in the books and I already want to kick my butt for writing these weekly with Barrett. No way can I gip #2 so weekly posts it is!
I'm still feeling pretty good for the most part. Bedtime is EARLY and laziness factor is there but it is getting better. I've been able to make dinner a few nights this week which was an improvement to my straight-to-the-couch need the weeks prior. Joe's been busy with house things (yardwork and new swing set building) though so I've sort of had to take the reigns and make dinner if we wanted to eat at a decent time.
I had my one puking incident a day last week when Joe had to leave for work early. He put on a bit more cologne than I would have preferred. I usually like the smell but for whatever reason it was so overpowering that I could not hold it in. This was still back when I was feeling a little queasy most mornings and evenings but that has seemed to dissipate.
We told all of our families two weeks ago and got mostly shocked reactions. Barrett wore a big brother shirt while we made the rounds to most everyone. We texted extended families and were lucky to see a large majority of friends at a wedding this past weekend so we could tell them in person. At this point, I'm hoping to tell my boss tomorrow and we will have let a majority of everyone know. I'll wait before taking it to social media until after our next sono in a few weeks.
I guess I should mention our first doctor visit. The office moved locations in June so this was my first time going to this new building. I got to see many familiar faces at check in and was taken back to the ultrasound room after a short wait. It took her no time to get her measurements, maybe 10 minutes, and a easy viewing of the heartbeat which was steady at 175. We printed pictures and were pretty much on our way. It was much faster than I remember our first one last time but I guess that's good that it was easy to get everything they needed. I did the normal pee in a cup and then back to wait to be called to see Dr. Bennett.
Brittany, my favorite nurse from last time, called us back to the consultation room. We had about 4947839 questions to answer which were mostly review from last time that they were able to pull from my chart. (No, I do not do drugs. No, I do not smoke. No, I do not drink.) We recapped my pregnancy and labor with Barrett and discussed a few things. I also had to give a full rundown of my medical history from last year as none of that was in my chart. I'll pause here to say that this shouldn't have a big effect on how things are going to go but my body has since taken a beating and gets tired easily still so it's something to keep note and be aware of. I also got the clearance to travel to Disney when I'm 27 weeks so :)
Brittany moved us to the exam room and did the usual check ups. We'll say I've neither gained or lost weight as it was the same weight I took at home when I got my positive pregnancy test. My home scale actually says that I've lost 3 pounds though so we'll see where I'm at during the next visit on which scale I'm going to go by. I do not remember exactly blood pressure but Brittany said "great" so yeah. Dr. Bennett came in shortly and after a quick recap and overview of things, she did a super fun pap before going into information on where to go from here in terms of gestational diabetes since I had that with Barrett. She pretty much confirmed my thoughts in that I don't have to do anything different but to try to be conscious of what I'm eating to prepare my body in case I get another positive results. I do not have to get tested earlier than normal so I won't have to be super strict about it just yet. I'm actually completely fine with getting it a second time because I was able to keep it in check strictly through diet and it allowed me more sonograms to see the baby! Won't complain about that! I also think it really helped keep my health and weight in check last time and it wouldn't hurt to have the same again. Remind me that I said that when I can't eat pasta anymore!!
We wrapped things up and I sent Joe on his way while I went to get my blood drawn. This is second nature to me as I've had to get it drawn regularly for over a year. No biggie! One extra thing they are checking is my A1C which is my blood sugar from the last like 3 years or something. If I failed that, Doc was going to call because they would have sent me straight to the endocrinologist to get my diet going. Thankfully, no call means no problem.
We wait two weeks for the next sono which I'm looking forward too as you really get to check out the kid. Onward!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
9 weeks with Baby T 2.0
:: written at 9 weeks along, Barrett is 2 years, 10 months old::
I wrote this over 4 weeks ago and will start to catch up until we hit present time...
Well as I'm sure is the case with most second children, this one is getting gipped in the blog postings. I started weekly updates with Barrett when I was 6 weeks along but I haven't had much to post so I held off. Good news, I started belly pics already (WHOA muscle memory) so if I keep this up, the kid won't have too much to gripe about.
Even though I already mentioned it, I have to talk about this insane stomach. Obviously, it's no where near what it's going to be like but it's pretty crazy how I'm already a similar size to what I was at probably 18 weeks. I've lost 1 pound total so it's strictly that my body remembers what the heck happened to it 3 years ago and is taking no time to get back into the swing of things.
I've already busted out a number of maternity pieces. The only fault of this pregnancy is that I am going to be in completely different seasons in terms of my clothing options. For Barrett's pregnancy, I didn't have much of a bump until May and he was born the first week in October (where it was 85deg out) so I was in shorts and tees and regular dresses. We're hitting fall here shortly and it will still be chilly when I deliver at the end of March so that means I'll need pants and sweaters and long sleeves. Only had to buy one pair of jeans last time! I've worn my shorts and a pair of capri's a few times already because WHY NOT? They are comfortable and I'm not going to get to wear them much longer.
So onto symptoms, I haven't had too much in this yet which was really similar to Barrett. I felt 100% the same for almost my entire pregnancy with him. I can't say it's exactly like that but it's nothing too crazy yet. During the week, I eat a pbj every day for lunch and for almost 3 weeks now, I've had to pretty much skip out on lunch because the thought of it makes me nauseous. My stomach has really been one of the few differences I've noticed. I wouldn't really call it morning sickness, per say. I feel okay and fine 95% of the time but it's just an overall queasiness. Just the thought of certain foods make me want to puke. I also have a very small appetite which I don't really remember before. I'm now probably eating the correct portions instead of double what I should be. :)
I did have one awful night when I was 6 weeks where I was up many times and ended up moving to the guest room. I had to take breaks while getting ready for work and if I wasn't already off 3 days prior to that, I would have called in. Total mom move when you save your sick days for your kids but I hate spending them on myself. Won't have to worry about that much longer. I'm not sure if that was morning sickness or stomach flu of some sort but I was miserable for about 24 hours and was aching at the thought of that continuing for an extended period of time.
Another symptom I have is really itchy skin. Completely forgot about that with Barrett but reading back on my 8 week post with him, it was something I noted. This week was also the first and only time I puked during Barrett's pregnancy and I've surpassed that so far so ::fingers crossed:: I am soooooo tired as well. Like getting in bed at 7pm right after B goes to bed and falling asleep by 8pm. I don't have to get out of bed until 7am most week days and I could probably lay there longer. I am a sloth and thankful Joe is picking up some slack. I have 2074639 loads of laundry to fold on our bedroom floor right now.
That's all for now. We've had our first appt already so if you are reading this, we've had a successful one. More on that later...
I wrote this over 4 weeks ago and will start to catch up until we hit present time...
Well as I'm sure is the case with most second children, this one is getting gipped in the blog postings. I started weekly updates with Barrett when I was 6 weeks along but I haven't had much to post so I held off. Good news, I started belly pics already (WHOA muscle memory) so if I keep this up, the kid won't have too much to gripe about.
Even though I already mentioned it, I have to talk about this insane stomach. Obviously, it's no where near what it's going to be like but it's pretty crazy how I'm already a similar size to what I was at probably 18 weeks. I've lost 1 pound total so it's strictly that my body remembers what the heck happened to it 3 years ago and is taking no time to get back into the swing of things.
I've already busted out a number of maternity pieces. The only fault of this pregnancy is that I am going to be in completely different seasons in terms of my clothing options. For Barrett's pregnancy, I didn't have much of a bump until May and he was born the first week in October (where it was 85deg out) so I was in shorts and tees and regular dresses. We're hitting fall here shortly and it will still be chilly when I deliver at the end of March so that means I'll need pants and sweaters and long sleeves. Only had to buy one pair of jeans last time! I've worn my shorts and a pair of capri's a few times already because WHY NOT? They are comfortable and I'm not going to get to wear them much longer.
So onto symptoms, I haven't had too much in this yet which was really similar to Barrett. I felt 100% the same for almost my entire pregnancy with him. I can't say it's exactly like that but it's nothing too crazy yet. During the week, I eat a pbj every day for lunch and for almost 3 weeks now, I've had to pretty much skip out on lunch because the thought of it makes me nauseous. My stomach has really been one of the few differences I've noticed. I wouldn't really call it morning sickness, per say. I feel okay and fine 95% of the time but it's just an overall queasiness. Just the thought of certain foods make me want to puke. I also have a very small appetite which I don't really remember before. I'm now probably eating the correct portions instead of double what I should be. :)
I did have one awful night when I was 6 weeks where I was up many times and ended up moving to the guest room. I had to take breaks while getting ready for work and if I wasn't already off 3 days prior to that, I would have called in. Total mom move when you save your sick days for your kids but I hate spending them on myself. Won't have to worry about that much longer. I'm not sure if that was morning sickness or stomach flu of some sort but I was miserable for about 24 hours and was aching at the thought of that continuing for an extended period of time.
Another symptom I have is really itchy skin. Completely forgot about that with Barrett but reading back on my 8 week post with him, it was something I noted. This week was also the first and only time I puked during Barrett's pregnancy and I've surpassed that so far so ::fingers crossed:: I am soooooo tired as well. Like getting in bed at 7pm right after B goes to bed and falling asleep by 8pm. I don't have to get out of bed until 7am most week days and I could probably lay there longer. I am a sloth and thankful Joe is picking up some slack. I have 2074639 loads of laundry to fold on our bedroom floor right now.
That's all for now. We've had our first appt already so if you are reading this, we've had a successful one. More on that later...
Friday, September 5, 2014
So this happened….
Surprise! and not just for you readers. :) A very welcome surprise but a surprise nonetheless.
As I write this, I am currently 7 weeks along and due March 30th, according to my calculations. Barrett and 2.0 will be almost exactly 3 1/2 years apart.
I got a positive test on Monday, July 28th when I was exactly 5 weeks along. Yes, I was in denial. Joe was railroaded. Barrett is oblivious. :) I think we've both started to get excited but still very fearful.
While this wasn't exactly our timing, I think it's going to work out really well for us. Barrett is, shall we say, attached to me. Does not like to share one bit of my attention and really needs for this to happen. He is not the biggest fan of other kids and babies, aside from his school friends but I think being a big brother will be good for him. He is a needy butthead but we've got to get that subsided sooner rather than later. Thankfully, he is slowly coming around and has some more interest in playing well with others. He better get used to it!
A very exciting thing for me is that I will change my title from working mom to stay at home mom. It wasn't in the cards for us when Barrett was born unless we really changed our lifestyle and neither Joe or I were really comfortable with that. You may remember that I had a very hard time going back to work when it was time and I've basically coasted his entire life just doing it. I've never enjoyed being away from him. Joe won't love his work from home days as much anymore though, I imagine. We super love Barrett's daycare and will miss it. My plan is to be done with work the end of February and have a month alone with just B before the baby comes. I was on bed rest my last 3 1/2 weeks so this is also preparing for that, just in case. Then, I will have the late spring and entire summer with both kids before Barrett will start part-time preschool in September.
My first appointment is in a week and a half and if all goes well, I'll be posting this not long after once we've notified our family and friends. Here we go!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Potty training
2 years, 9 months old
How's that for a topic after an unplanned 6 week blogging hiatus? :) My apologies to my 4 readers for the absence. Without getting into too many excuses, we'll just say that age 2 1/2 has been a struggle lately and making time to sit down at a computer is difficult. I will do a full Barrett update soon but basically sleeping has been a real issue for a while and 9pm bedtimes were taking a toll on my free time. Once he was asleep, I wanted to go to sleep myself. BUT good news is we have turned a corner and bedtime is at 7pm again! We'll talk about that later as I want to devote this post to all about our tackling of potty training!
I've very much been of the mindset that I did not want to try this too early and make things hard for both Barrett and myself. I love hearing about kids that are interested in going on the potty early but that was never our situation. We've had a small potty since right around his 2nd birthday and he has had varying amount of interest in it. Early on, he was all good with sitting on it for 30 seconds but actually trying to go was a different story.
This winter, Bubs teachers were really good about introducing the potty to him on a more regular basis. He was one of the younger kids in his classroom so he's been watching the older ones (especially girls) peeing on the potty for a while now. Many of the girls started going regularly in his toddler classroom even. Starting in about March (2 years, 5 months old), Barrett was regularly sitting on the real potty in the classroom (3-4 times a day) but almost never actually going. No biggie. For months, he went maybe a handful of times and the teachers always said it was because his diaper was dry. If he went to sit on it after already have peed in his diaper, he wouldn't do anything. If his diaper was dry, he would go. I'll take it. No pressure and he was getting comfortable with it and following around all his friends was a big help.
Fast forward again to later June. Barrett was about to turn 2 years, 9 months old and I was starting to feel some pressure to at least begin the process and see what would happen. I've always been of the thoughts that I want this to be the least amount of stress possible. If he's not ready, I'm not going to fight him just because he's supposed to be learning to do it on his own. Maybe if we had passed his 3rd birthday things would be different but I was okay with changing diapers. Honestly, it's way easier without having to be sure to have spare clothes and making sure to go before we do anything outside the house. But I got some tips of starting the 3 day method and we started the last weekend in June. We woke up Saturday morning and transferred straight to underwear. We were going cold turkey with no pull-ups and lots of reinforcements for going.
So part of the 3 day method is that you are not supposed to put the kid on the toilet but constantly be checking in with them to make sure they are staying dry and to tell them if they needed to go. That's great except that Barrett would just go on the floor without a care in the world. We spent Saturday and Sunday of that weekend in full out torture. Barrett probably peed on the floor 40 times. He went twice on the toilet. Once because I put him on there (he didn't tell me he had to go…RULE BREAKER) and another time when I put him on there and put cherrios in the bowl and told him to shoot at them (BOY!). Late Sunday afternoon, pretty much both of us were in tears. After every accident, Barrett would scream and cry that he didn't want to put underwear on. I stopped after about 36 hours because this was not at all worth it. He wasn't ready and I wasn't going to push it. Technically, I should have waited it out for the 3rd day but he would be going to daycare and I did not want to put them through that. So back to diapers we go. No big deal.
I didn't mention this but before we started the big potty training in June, Barrett had started to go on the potty at daycare at least 2-3 times a day. He was doing so great for them which is his M-O. He also uses his manners and eats everything they give him there but he wants nothing to do with either for Mom and Dad. Stinker! I figured he was very much ready because he had no problems going for them. WRONG-O
Starting the week after the Fourth of July, Barrett really decided to show us by going 100% full time at daycare. He went 5 days straight dry and peeing on the potty and then another 4 days straight. On Thursday, July 17, I went to pick him up from daycare and his teachers said he was ready and we should bring underwear for him to see how it goes. I was actually planning to start another round of training the following weekend but decided to give it a try. I would let them do the work on Friday and if he wasn't very successful, we wouldn't push anything over the weekend (we were traveling and had lots of plans which is supposedly a no-no when you are PTing.) Anyways, to daycare he went in underwear and I pick him up with a full perfect day with no accidents! Joe and I were so proud which is really ridiculous because we didn't do a damn thing!
I was not sure what to think of this but we decided to just follow Barretts lead and see how he did over the weekend. We were stopping at the hospital to see Mr Palmer and the Maschings that night so we put Barrett in a diaper so as not to deal with accidents for there and the drive to Blooimington/Pontiac. We got to my parents for the night later and put him back in underwear for the overnight.
I forgot to mention but when we did the weekend training in June, Barrett stayed dry for his naps and overnight. I thought that would be the most difficult of the process but (spoiler alert!), he's stayed completely dry in underwear every time.
That Saturday, Barrett woke up about 5:30am (again dry!) and immediately wanted to go get his dad. I slept with him just in case he did have an accident and needed quick assistance. I asked right away if he wanted to go potty before going to get Joe and he said no. I left the two of them and headed back to bed for a bit. 15 minutes later, Joe comes to get a change of clothes, that B had a little accident. He ended up going about half on the floor and half in the toilet but that was probably both our faults and we should have just made him stand in front of the toilet to try. Lesson learned! We had a few other trips that morning to the potty which was a big learning experience for me. I learned that we should always "force" him to try to go but if he doesn't want to stand there after 20 seconds, it means he really doesn't have to go. If he needs to go, he will go! (Novel idea!) So no need to force it!
We had Baby Saxton's baby shower later that day so I headed over to Rachels to get things prepped. At this point, he went a number of times with no problems. We get there and shortly, Barrett goes outside with Andy and has another accident. Good job doing that outside, dude! Again, probably my fault, as I should have asked him as soon as we got to the house. He had one small accident for my mom later that day while I was getting my hair cut but overall, we were really happy with the progress! 3 accidents that day wasn't so bad when he was getting run around and completely off his schedule. He did great for the shower too. Again, we go against the 3 day method rules and every hour we tried to take him to the toilet. Like I mentioned, if he had to go, he went and if he didn't, we would try again later.
Sunday, was even better, another overnight dry. He ended up having just one accident that day after we had dinner but again, I can probably blame that on Joe or I as we weren't being diligent about asking him. 3 days in and only 4 accidents! That sealed the deal that we were through the hump and pretty much potty trained!
We had one small accident on Monday and today was accident free! A total PROUD Mom and Dad moment happened last night when we hear the nightly "pitter patter" of Barrett's feet running to our room. I think it was about 2:45, we were awoken by him asking us TO GO POTTY! He started doing this consistently on Monday and running to the bathroom himself but the fact that he woke himself up in the middle of the night and knew to come get us was pretty freaking awesome. We were also woken up at 3:45 with him again asking to go but honestly, who cares if we had to wake up! Another turning point for us. For keeping tally, we had 5 accident total which is so insane. It really shows that they will do it when they are ready. Barely a month ago, he had 30 accidents in less than 2 days. Barrett decided when he was ready.
Now, I have to mention that all of it isn't hearts and rainbows. You notice that I haven't mentioned anything about poop. That's because we are having a bit of a struggle with it. His schedule is synced up so that he goes at like 6pm every night so daycare rarely has to deal with him pooping. Unfortunately, Barrett is not comfortable with that yet. Finally on Saturday afternoon, it was apparent that he was holding it in because he didn't want to sit on the potty to go. I gave in and put a diaper on him and he pooped within 2 minutes. We had to do the same tonight after he went 3 days without going. As soon as the diaper is on, he releases it and we change him and go right back to underwear. I don't think there is much else we can do besides keep trying to get him comfortable to sit on the potty to go. I won't go back to diapers when he is doing so well with peeing but I also don't want to let him go more than a few days with holding it in. That's not healthy.
Overall though, I'm really proud of the progress he's made and do not regret for a minute that we let Barrett decide when he was ready.
(Be back soon with other updates, promise!)
How's that for a topic after an unplanned 6 week blogging hiatus? :) My apologies to my 4 readers for the absence. Without getting into too many excuses, we'll just say that age 2 1/2 has been a struggle lately and making time to sit down at a computer is difficult. I will do a full Barrett update soon but basically sleeping has been a real issue for a while and 9pm bedtimes were taking a toll on my free time. Once he was asleep, I wanted to go to sleep myself. BUT good news is we have turned a corner and bedtime is at 7pm again! We'll talk about that later as I want to devote this post to all about our tackling of potty training!
I've very much been of the mindset that I did not want to try this too early and make things hard for both Barrett and myself. I love hearing about kids that are interested in going on the potty early but that was never our situation. We've had a small potty since right around his 2nd birthday and he has had varying amount of interest in it. Early on, he was all good with sitting on it for 30 seconds but actually trying to go was a different story.
This winter, Bubs teachers were really good about introducing the potty to him on a more regular basis. He was one of the younger kids in his classroom so he's been watching the older ones (especially girls) peeing on the potty for a while now. Many of the girls started going regularly in his toddler classroom even. Starting in about March (2 years, 5 months old), Barrett was regularly sitting on the real potty in the classroom (3-4 times a day) but almost never actually going. No biggie. For months, he went maybe a handful of times and the teachers always said it was because his diaper was dry. If he went to sit on it after already have peed in his diaper, he wouldn't do anything. If his diaper was dry, he would go. I'll take it. No pressure and he was getting comfortable with it and following around all his friends was a big help.
Fast forward again to later June. Barrett was about to turn 2 years, 9 months old and I was starting to feel some pressure to at least begin the process and see what would happen. I've always been of the thoughts that I want this to be the least amount of stress possible. If he's not ready, I'm not going to fight him just because he's supposed to be learning to do it on his own. Maybe if we had passed his 3rd birthday things would be different but I was okay with changing diapers. Honestly, it's way easier without having to be sure to have spare clothes and making sure to go before we do anything outside the house. But I got some tips of starting the 3 day method and we started the last weekend in June. We woke up Saturday morning and transferred straight to underwear. We were going cold turkey with no pull-ups and lots of reinforcements for going.
So part of the 3 day method is that you are not supposed to put the kid on the toilet but constantly be checking in with them to make sure they are staying dry and to tell them if they needed to go. That's great except that Barrett would just go on the floor without a care in the world. We spent Saturday and Sunday of that weekend in full out torture. Barrett probably peed on the floor 40 times. He went twice on the toilet. Once because I put him on there (he didn't tell me he had to go…RULE BREAKER) and another time when I put him on there and put cherrios in the bowl and told him to shoot at them (BOY!). Late Sunday afternoon, pretty much both of us were in tears. After every accident, Barrett would scream and cry that he didn't want to put underwear on. I stopped after about 36 hours because this was not at all worth it. He wasn't ready and I wasn't going to push it. Technically, I should have waited it out for the 3rd day but he would be going to daycare and I did not want to put them through that. So back to diapers we go. No big deal.
I didn't mention this but before we started the big potty training in June, Barrett had started to go on the potty at daycare at least 2-3 times a day. He was doing so great for them which is his M-O. He also uses his manners and eats everything they give him there but he wants nothing to do with either for Mom and Dad. Stinker! I figured he was very much ready because he had no problems going for them. WRONG-O
Starting the week after the Fourth of July, Barrett really decided to show us by going 100% full time at daycare. He went 5 days straight dry and peeing on the potty and then another 4 days straight. On Thursday, July 17, I went to pick him up from daycare and his teachers said he was ready and we should bring underwear for him to see how it goes. I was actually planning to start another round of training the following weekend but decided to give it a try. I would let them do the work on Friday and if he wasn't very successful, we wouldn't push anything over the weekend (we were traveling and had lots of plans which is supposedly a no-no when you are PTing.) Anyways, to daycare he went in underwear and I pick him up with a full perfect day with no accidents! Joe and I were so proud which is really ridiculous because we didn't do a damn thing!
I was not sure what to think of this but we decided to just follow Barretts lead and see how he did over the weekend. We were stopping at the hospital to see Mr Palmer and the Maschings that night so we put Barrett in a diaper so as not to deal with accidents for there and the drive to Blooimington/Pontiac. We got to my parents for the night later and put him back in underwear for the overnight.
I forgot to mention but when we did the weekend training in June, Barrett stayed dry for his naps and overnight. I thought that would be the most difficult of the process but (spoiler alert!), he's stayed completely dry in underwear every time.
That Saturday, Barrett woke up about 5:30am (again dry!) and immediately wanted to go get his dad. I slept with him just in case he did have an accident and needed quick assistance. I asked right away if he wanted to go potty before going to get Joe and he said no. I left the two of them and headed back to bed for a bit. 15 minutes later, Joe comes to get a change of clothes, that B had a little accident. He ended up going about half on the floor and half in the toilet but that was probably both our faults and we should have just made him stand in front of the toilet to try. Lesson learned! We had a few other trips that morning to the potty which was a big learning experience for me. I learned that we should always "force" him to try to go but if he doesn't want to stand there after 20 seconds, it means he really doesn't have to go. If he needs to go, he will go! (Novel idea!) So no need to force it!
We had Baby Saxton's baby shower later that day so I headed over to Rachels to get things prepped. At this point, he went a number of times with no problems. We get there and shortly, Barrett goes outside with Andy and has another accident. Good job doing that outside, dude! Again, probably my fault, as I should have asked him as soon as we got to the house. He had one small accident for my mom later that day while I was getting my hair cut but overall, we were really happy with the progress! 3 accidents that day wasn't so bad when he was getting run around and completely off his schedule. He did great for the shower too. Again, we go against the 3 day method rules and every hour we tried to take him to the toilet. Like I mentioned, if he had to go, he went and if he didn't, we would try again later.
Sunday, was even better, another overnight dry. He ended up having just one accident that day after we had dinner but again, I can probably blame that on Joe or I as we weren't being diligent about asking him. 3 days in and only 4 accidents! That sealed the deal that we were through the hump and pretty much potty trained!
We had one small accident on Monday and today was accident free! A total PROUD Mom and Dad moment happened last night when we hear the nightly "pitter patter" of Barrett's feet running to our room. I think it was about 2:45, we were awoken by him asking us TO GO POTTY! He started doing this consistently on Monday and running to the bathroom himself but the fact that he woke himself up in the middle of the night and knew to come get us was pretty freaking awesome. We were also woken up at 3:45 with him again asking to go but honestly, who cares if we had to wake up! Another turning point for us. For keeping tally, we had 5 accident total which is so insane. It really shows that they will do it when they are ready. Barely a month ago, he had 30 accidents in less than 2 days. Barrett decided when he was ready.
Now, I have to mention that all of it isn't hearts and rainbows. You notice that I haven't mentioned anything about poop. That's because we are having a bit of a struggle with it. His schedule is synced up so that he goes at like 6pm every night so daycare rarely has to deal with him pooping. Unfortunately, Barrett is not comfortable with that yet. Finally on Saturday afternoon, it was apparent that he was holding it in because he didn't want to sit on the potty to go. I gave in and put a diaper on him and he pooped within 2 minutes. We had to do the same tonight after he went 3 days without going. As soon as the diaper is on, he releases it and we change him and go right back to underwear. I don't think there is much else we can do besides keep trying to get him comfortable to sit on the potty to go. I won't go back to diapers when he is doing so well with peeing but I also don't want to let him go more than a few days with holding it in. That's not healthy.
Overall though, I'm really proud of the progress he's made and do not regret for a minute that we let Barrett decide when he was ready.
(Be back soon with other updates, promise!)
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Project 365: Week 21/22
2 years, 7 months old
Maaaaaybe, I'll get back on this bandwagon.
05-19-14
Everyone draws with chalk with no pants, right?
05-21-14
I need to compare this to one of his slide pictures from last year. He's so BIG.
05-24-14
Barrett loves his cousins. Today we got to celebrate Payton's junior high graduation.
05-28-14
This artist.
05-30-14
We started potty training today. It was a big fat fail.
05-31-14
Playing on our bed while Daddy changes sheets
Maaaaaybe, I'll get back on this bandwagon.
05-19-14
Everyone draws with chalk with no pants, right?
05-21-14
I need to compare this to one of his slide pictures from last year. He's so BIG.
05-24-14
Barrett loves his cousins. Today we got to celebrate Payton's junior high graduation.
05-28-14
This artist.
05-30-14
We started potty training today. It was a big fat fail.
05-31-14
Playing on our bed while Daddy changes sheets
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Project 365: Week 20
2 years, 7 months old
If someone were grading my blogging these days, I would get a D+ (maybe)
05-12-14
My favorite boy
05-13-14
I cannot keep him clean when yogurt is around.
05-14-14 to 05-16-14
Missed
05-17-14
My two boys on our 6th wedding anniversary
05-18-14
"I'm on a pirate ship, Mommy."
If someone were grading my blogging these days, I would get a D+ (maybe)
05-12-14
My favorite boy
05-13-14
I cannot keep him clean when yogurt is around.
05-14-14 to 05-16-14
Missed
05-17-14
My two boys on our 6th wedding anniversary
05-18-14
"I'm on a pirate ship, Mommy."
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Project 365: Week 18/19
2 years, 7 months old
I only took one picture last week so I'm including it this week.
04-29-14
Hair cut night
05-05-14
Barrett finds the weirdest way to play. Tonight was hanging and kicking his swing.
05-06-14
A night at the park
05-07-14
I love this face.
05-08-14
Popsicle night (which is most nights.)
05-09-14
Missed
05-10-14
We got some park time in before this one turned into satan.
05-11-14
Mother's Day cook out and Barrett had a ball on the trampoline.
I only took one picture last week so I'm including it this week.
04-29-14
Hair cut night
05-05-14
Barrett finds the weirdest way to play. Tonight was hanging and kicking his swing.
05-06-14
A night at the park
05-07-14
I love this face.
05-08-14
Popsicle night (which is most nights.)
05-09-14
Missed
05-10-14
We got some park time in before this one turned into satan.
05-11-14
Mother's Day cook out and Barrett had a ball on the trampoline.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Kauai: Day 7 & 8
2 years, 7 months old
Thursday, March 20: Today would be our last full day on the island and we had a chill but good day on tap. A bunch of the group had massages scheduled for this morning so we bummed around in the morning until it warmed up some and then hit up the pool. This morning was great for me because we left Barrett to fend for himself a bit in the pool while we lounged and read in the chair. Best.ever. He took an occasional break to jump around rocks and play with sticks.
We ordered some smoothies for a snack and I ended up getting a fish basket to have for lunch. I was over eating in the room and wanted something greasy. :) It was a good choice!
We decided to do some beach hopping for our last afternoon. We wanted to stay fairly close to our resort so we chose Kalihiwai Beach first. A certain someone fell asleep on the 10 minute drive but it worked out fine. We pulled right onto the beach under a bunch of trees and I rolled all the windows down and read a book in the front seat while he napped for about 45 minutes.
This was my view which isn't half bad.
This beach was in a little bay which met the Kalihiwai River and was pretty secluded. It was breezy this day and Joe and my dad got out our kite for some runs. It was nice sandy beach and we were practically there alone which is always welcome.
We wanted to try at least one other beach so we packed up to head just another 5 minutes down the road to Anini Beach. We passed a secret waterfall that apparently isn't usually there. Because it's the end of the wet season, random waterfalls will pop up. We stopped quickly so I could get a picture, of course!
Onward to Anini beach which is the beach that was just down from our resort. We drove down the mountain a bit and through the big Anini Park back to a very secluded corner. It was exactly like what you would picture your very own private island beach to look like. It was so small that you could practically lay down at the top of the beach and have your feet touching the water. This spot was SO calm.
The base of the tree is where the beach ended. That's all the wide it was. I loved it!
Three of the boys took snorkel gear ALL the way out to the sandbar to check out the fish. This was where they snorkeled earlier in the week and found some turtles. My mom and Rachel were freaking out that they were going to get swept out to sea. You can see how far they are out (this was even zoomed in).
This beach was more pebbly and authentic, with lots of trees and big roots.
Eventually, we headed back up and hopped in the pool again before going back to the room to freshen up. Our plan was to go to dinner in Hanalei to some BBQ place that I have since forgot. We needed to go to Hanalei to return the snorkel gear and some wanted to do some shopping so we had a very chill night out eating al fresco.
Barrett had to wear his Hawaiian shirt!
Prior to dinner, we made sure to set up the tripod to get some group shots just outside our hotel.
We got back to the hotel and got Barrett in bed and I worked on packing and cleaning up our stuff and doing laundry. It was another great day!
Friday, March 21: Our last day of the trip had arrived. We needed to check out of our hotel by 11am so this morning, we finished laundry (I came home with almost no dirty clothes!!!!) and cleaned up our food and chilled. Eric came over that morning and we found out that Allyson had been up all night sick. This would make for an interesting 18 hour travel day.
Before leaving, I wanted to head down the road to the lookout for some pictures of Hanalei Bay. I really wished I would have made this a priority earlier in the week because this morning was really foggy. Not the best conditions for pictures. Oh well…
Another lookout point looked onto some of the farmland.
We packed up and headed over to the airport. Allyson didn't make it out of the parking lot before throwing up. Our flight left Kauai at 1:30 and was getting to LAX at like 10:30 (time change made it only a 4 hour flight). The flight was mostly uneventful. I think Barrett slept for about 30 minutes and we watched more movies. Allyson only threw up one more time. :) We got to LAX pretty late and ended up sitting on the tarmac waiting for a gate for like 45 minutes. That was a real bummer. Our redeye flight from LAX to Ohare was pretty status quo. We all slept very little but managed to not have any major meltdowns. I have never wanted to be done with travel so bad in my life. We got into Ohare at 6am which felt like 1am for us now that we were adjusted to the time difference. It took a decent amount to get our luggage and then wait for our shuttle when all of us just wanted a freaking bed. Barrett was such a trooper but was really fading. We drove to my parents and stopped for about 10 minutes before getting back in the car to go straight home. Barrett slept for most of these stretches which was great. We were all so tired when we made it home at 11am central time.
It was a pretty perfect vacation in paradise!
Thursday, March 20: Today would be our last full day on the island and we had a chill but good day on tap. A bunch of the group had massages scheduled for this morning so we bummed around in the morning until it warmed up some and then hit up the pool. This morning was great for me because we left Barrett to fend for himself a bit in the pool while we lounged and read in the chair. Best.ever. He took an occasional break to jump around rocks and play with sticks.
We ordered some smoothies for a snack and I ended up getting a fish basket to have for lunch. I was over eating in the room and wanted something greasy. :) It was a good choice!
We decided to do some beach hopping for our last afternoon. We wanted to stay fairly close to our resort so we chose Kalihiwai Beach first. A certain someone fell asleep on the 10 minute drive but it worked out fine. We pulled right onto the beach under a bunch of trees and I rolled all the windows down and read a book in the front seat while he napped for about 45 minutes.
This was my view which isn't half bad.
This beach was in a little bay which met the Kalihiwai River and was pretty secluded. It was breezy this day and Joe and my dad got out our kite for some runs. It was nice sandy beach and we were practically there alone which is always welcome.
We wanted to try at least one other beach so we packed up to head just another 5 minutes down the road to Anini Beach. We passed a secret waterfall that apparently isn't usually there. Because it's the end of the wet season, random waterfalls will pop up. We stopped quickly so I could get a picture, of course!
Onward to Anini beach which is the beach that was just down from our resort. We drove down the mountain a bit and through the big Anini Park back to a very secluded corner. It was exactly like what you would picture your very own private island beach to look like. It was so small that you could practically lay down at the top of the beach and have your feet touching the water. This spot was SO calm.
The base of the tree is where the beach ended. That's all the wide it was. I loved it!
Three of the boys took snorkel gear ALL the way out to the sandbar to check out the fish. This was where they snorkeled earlier in the week and found some turtles. My mom and Rachel were freaking out that they were going to get swept out to sea. You can see how far they are out (this was even zoomed in).
This beach was more pebbly and authentic, with lots of trees and big roots.
Eventually, we headed back up and hopped in the pool again before going back to the room to freshen up. Our plan was to go to dinner in Hanalei to some BBQ place that I have since forgot. We needed to go to Hanalei to return the snorkel gear and some wanted to do some shopping so we had a very chill night out eating al fresco.
Barrett had to wear his Hawaiian shirt!
Prior to dinner, we made sure to set up the tripod to get some group shots just outside our hotel.
We got back to the hotel and got Barrett in bed and I worked on packing and cleaning up our stuff and doing laundry. It was another great day!
Friday, March 21: Our last day of the trip had arrived. We needed to check out of our hotel by 11am so this morning, we finished laundry (I came home with almost no dirty clothes!!!!) and cleaned up our food and chilled. Eric came over that morning and we found out that Allyson had been up all night sick. This would make for an interesting 18 hour travel day.
Before leaving, I wanted to head down the road to the lookout for some pictures of Hanalei Bay. I really wished I would have made this a priority earlier in the week because this morning was really foggy. Not the best conditions for pictures. Oh well…
Another lookout point looked onto some of the farmland.
We packed up and headed over to the airport. Allyson didn't make it out of the parking lot before throwing up. Our flight left Kauai at 1:30 and was getting to LAX at like 10:30 (time change made it only a 4 hour flight). The flight was mostly uneventful. I think Barrett slept for about 30 minutes and we watched more movies. Allyson only threw up one more time. :) We got to LAX pretty late and ended up sitting on the tarmac waiting for a gate for like 45 minutes. That was a real bummer. Our redeye flight from LAX to Ohare was pretty status quo. We all slept very little but managed to not have any major meltdowns. I have never wanted to be done with travel so bad in my life. We got into Ohare at 6am which felt like 1am for us now that we were adjusted to the time difference. It took a decent amount to get our luggage and then wait for our shuttle when all of us just wanted a freaking bed. Barrett was such a trooper but was really fading. We drove to my parents and stopped for about 10 minutes before getting back in the car to go straight home. Barrett slept for most of these stretches which was great. We were all so tired when we made it home at 11am central time.
It was a pretty perfect vacation in paradise!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Kauai: Day 6
2 years, 6 months old
Wednesday, March 20: This was a morning I had been looking forward to which was zip-lining. It was something I wanted to do for sure when we started to plan this trip. All of us (but my mom and B) were thinking about doing it. Then Allyson got pregnant and couldn't. Andy is not a heights guy so he bowed out and eventually Joe and Eric said they were going to skip too so that left just Dad, Rachel and I. We had to check in at 7:45 that morning but it was only about 5 minutes from our hotel so it was a quick trip to get there. Again, I didn't bring my big camera because I wasn't sure what the conditions would be like (next time? bring the camera!). We checked in with about 10 others in our group and got strapped into our gear. The ranch was just across the street from our check-in area so we took a trolley type shuttle inland some into the mountains.
They started us off with the shorter lines first and then we eventually picked up to the bigger ones. The Big Kahuna was our last run at something like 1800 feet long. That first run, while only like 400 feet, was a little nerve racking. They taught us right away how to hold onto the hook that steered so we wouldn't be flopping around in circles the whole time. This would also help so we could come in for landing on our feet instead of on our butts. It took a run or two to figure out what we were doing. I should mention too that we had two instructors, who I've since forgot their names, but they were both great. One was lively and comedic while the other was very chill and laid back. They were both transplants, from Oregon and San Fran, and did two runs a day on the ranch. It seemed like a pretty cool job. The comedic one asked me, while hooking me up for a run, what I was studying in school. I got a kick out of that! I didn't graduate 7 years ago or anything….Do I look that young?
You can see that each run we climbed up steps to a landing where we were hooked in and then we ran down to zip before hitting another landing. It was one of the funnest things I've ever done! Flying between mountains and over creeks and ravines was really awesome. We also had pretty perfect weather. Definitely didn't need the long sleeve I wore but after I was already hooked into my straps, I kept it on. If you watched our video, you'll see that the GoPro hooked to our helmets was great too.
Me with the Big Kahuna in the background. I was way more nervous standing on the top of the tower than I was flying across the mountains. I felt totally secure hooked onto the lines. In total, I think it took 3 1/2 hours by the time we got back to camp. I forget how much it costs (something like $100) but more than worth it.
We ordered our pictures on a zip drive after we got back and got a few good ones.
We got back to the hotel and it was planned to head over the Na Pali coast for the afternoon. I was pretty exhausted after a full day yesterday and a full morning so I decided to stay back at the hotel. It ended up that only my dad, Joe and Eric were interested in the long hike so most of the rest of us stayed at the hotel. My mom joined them and stayed at the beach around where the hike begins. I really just wanted a few hours in the pool (at this point, I had only had about 45 minutes a few times) and it was a good opportunity for Barrett to get a nice nap in. He had really only napped on the go or when we had time all week so he was due for a good sleep in a bed.
It was another dinner at the hotel night. The Bauman's made pork chops and other things I don't remember. We were going to eat down by the pool at the big tables they had but pretty close to when we were going to get down there it started to sprinkle so we stayed inside again.
We went to bed after another sun-filled day.
Wednesday, March 20: This was a morning I had been looking forward to which was zip-lining. It was something I wanted to do for sure when we started to plan this trip. All of us (but my mom and B) were thinking about doing it. Then Allyson got pregnant and couldn't. Andy is not a heights guy so he bowed out and eventually Joe and Eric said they were going to skip too so that left just Dad, Rachel and I. We had to check in at 7:45 that morning but it was only about 5 minutes from our hotel so it was a quick trip to get there. Again, I didn't bring my big camera because I wasn't sure what the conditions would be like (next time? bring the camera!). We checked in with about 10 others in our group and got strapped into our gear. The ranch was just across the street from our check-in area so we took a trolley type shuttle inland some into the mountains.
They started us off with the shorter lines first and then we eventually picked up to the bigger ones. The Big Kahuna was our last run at something like 1800 feet long. That first run, while only like 400 feet, was a little nerve racking. They taught us right away how to hold onto the hook that steered so we wouldn't be flopping around in circles the whole time. This would also help so we could come in for landing on our feet instead of on our butts. It took a run or two to figure out what we were doing. I should mention too that we had two instructors, who I've since forgot their names, but they were both great. One was lively and comedic while the other was very chill and laid back. They were both transplants, from Oregon and San Fran, and did two runs a day on the ranch. It seemed like a pretty cool job. The comedic one asked me, while hooking me up for a run, what I was studying in school. I got a kick out of that! I didn't graduate 7 years ago or anything….Do I look that young?
You can see that each run we climbed up steps to a landing where we were hooked in and then we ran down to zip before hitting another landing. It was one of the funnest things I've ever done! Flying between mountains and over creeks and ravines was really awesome. We also had pretty perfect weather. Definitely didn't need the long sleeve I wore but after I was already hooked into my straps, I kept it on. If you watched our video, you'll see that the GoPro hooked to our helmets was great too.
Me with the Big Kahuna in the background. I was way more nervous standing on the top of the tower than I was flying across the mountains. I felt totally secure hooked onto the lines. In total, I think it took 3 1/2 hours by the time we got back to camp. I forget how much it costs (something like $100) but more than worth it.
We ordered our pictures on a zip drive after we got back and got a few good ones.
We got back to the hotel and it was planned to head over the Na Pali coast for the afternoon. I was pretty exhausted after a full day yesterday and a full morning so I decided to stay back at the hotel. It ended up that only my dad, Joe and Eric were interested in the long hike so most of the rest of us stayed at the hotel. My mom joined them and stayed at the beach around where the hike begins. I really just wanted a few hours in the pool (at this point, I had only had about 45 minutes a few times) and it was a good opportunity for Barrett to get a nice nap in. He had really only napped on the go or when we had time all week so he was due for a good sleep in a bed.
It was another dinner at the hotel night. The Bauman's made pork chops and other things I don't remember. We were going to eat down by the pool at the big tables they had but pretty close to when we were going to get down there it started to sprinkle so we stayed inside again.
We went to bed after another sun-filled day.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Kauai: Day 5
2 years, 6 months old
Tuesday, March 18th: We had a full day planned for today and it was nice when the sun came up and it was warm already! It was in the 60s most mornings so we couldn't do much before 11am that involved swimsuits but when it was warm, we decided to go to the pool early before our other plans. First, we wanted to do the fish feeding at the hotel. Every morning at 9am, they brought a big tub of food and kids got to feed the koi fish. Barrett did this one other morning and loved it so we loaded up our pool stuff so we could swim after we fed fish. Of course, as soon as we finished, it started to sprinkle and the sun went away which meant cold. Wah wah.
Our morning activity was just down the road in Kilauea to the lighthouse which is the northernmost point in all of the Hawaiian islands. This may have been my most favorite attraction we did. It was really gorgeous there on the coastline. It helped that it was one of the sunniest, nicest days on that part of the island too. First off, you can park by a lookout point and see the lighthouse and part of the bay.
You can then pull around to the parking lot where the entrance to the lighthouse is. I think it was $5 a person except for age 5 and under, which were free. We found a parking spot and then made our way up the stretch of walk where they have various binoculars to check out the scenery. It was fairly busy day which we found out that Tuesdays are because they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. We did not plan it this way, it just happened to be the morning we had open to check it out. Next time, we'd probably try for a different day.
All the little white specks on the hills are actually birds that inhabit this stretch of land.
You can see in one of the above pictures that we had a long walk to get to the lighthouse. Barrett was great and sticking close to use the whole time on the way to the lighthouse and then turned into…….well, a little shit…and decided to run away from us like a game. At one point, he had run away from me about 400 yards back to the parking lot and I barely caught him. I was ready to get out of there and would have liked to enjoy the scenery a bit more. Vacations with toddlers are not always relaxing paradises, fyi.
Our hotel is almost on the very right point along the coast of this picture.
We managed a little family picture, although in the picture he's really pushing me away and I'm holding on to him for dear life trying to look like a nice family. :)
It was nearing lunch time and practically across the street is an organic farm that has lunch al fresco. I was hungry before we left so I ate earlier and only got a smoothie but the ahi sandwiches looked so good. Barrett tried his first purple potato (french fry) here too.
Joe, my dad and I had a tee time this afternoon to play one of the neighboring golf courses. This would be my first round since my hospital trip last summer. I had been to the driving range in the late fall but playing a full 18 holes would be a test. The course was pretty amazing. Not anything like our IL courses which is the reason we wanted to play it. I actually played pretty decently but it was a very very difficult course so my score wasn't something I've shot for quite a while. I didn't get too tired though which was great since it was pretty warm and I had to maneuver a bunch of (big) hills. I didn't bring my big camera but here are a few Istagram shots.
Views were pretty great!
While we were out doing that, Barrett was with hi s aunts and uncles at the pool. It ended up being one of the nicest afternoons and a great time at the pool for them. We had a little bit of time to freshen up before we were heading back down to Hanalei for dinner out. A few of us were looking for sushi so we decided to try The Dolphin. There was a little bit of a wait with a party our size but we checked out a few shops and were soon ready to sit. This was easily (for everyone, I believe) the major favorite. We all loved our meal. Joe and I shared some spicy tuna roll and I also got the scallops which were practically melt in your mouth. We also splurged on a bunch of shared desserts. I probably would have ate there a few times this week if we had the option. So good! Barrett was even able to have chicken nuggets for his meal which was practically his first non peanut butter and jelly all week. After we wrapped up, we headed back to the hotel for some sleep.
An exceptional day today. :)
Tuesday, March 18th: We had a full day planned for today and it was nice when the sun came up and it was warm already! It was in the 60s most mornings so we couldn't do much before 11am that involved swimsuits but when it was warm, we decided to go to the pool early before our other plans. First, we wanted to do the fish feeding at the hotel. Every morning at 9am, they brought a big tub of food and kids got to feed the koi fish. Barrett did this one other morning and loved it so we loaded up our pool stuff so we could swim after we fed fish. Of course, as soon as we finished, it started to sprinkle and the sun went away which meant cold. Wah wah.
Our morning activity was just down the road in Kilauea to the lighthouse which is the northernmost point in all of the Hawaiian islands. This may have been my most favorite attraction we did. It was really gorgeous there on the coastline. It helped that it was one of the sunniest, nicest days on that part of the island too. First off, you can park by a lookout point and see the lighthouse and part of the bay.
You can then pull around to the parking lot where the entrance to the lighthouse is. I think it was $5 a person except for age 5 and under, which were free. We found a parking spot and then made our way up the stretch of walk where they have various binoculars to check out the scenery. It was fairly busy day which we found out that Tuesdays are because they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. We did not plan it this way, it just happened to be the morning we had open to check it out. Next time, we'd probably try for a different day.
All the little white specks on the hills are actually birds that inhabit this stretch of land.
You can see in one of the above pictures that we had a long walk to get to the lighthouse. Barrett was great and sticking close to use the whole time on the way to the lighthouse and then turned into…….well, a little shit…and decided to run away from us like a game. At one point, he had run away from me about 400 yards back to the parking lot and I barely caught him. I was ready to get out of there and would have liked to enjoy the scenery a bit more. Vacations with toddlers are not always relaxing paradises, fyi.
Our hotel is almost on the very right point along the coast of this picture.
We managed a little family picture, although in the picture he's really pushing me away and I'm holding on to him for dear life trying to look like a nice family. :)
It was nearing lunch time and practically across the street is an organic farm that has lunch al fresco. I was hungry before we left so I ate earlier and only got a smoothie but the ahi sandwiches looked so good. Barrett tried his first purple potato (french fry) here too.
Joe, my dad and I had a tee time this afternoon to play one of the neighboring golf courses. This would be my first round since my hospital trip last summer. I had been to the driving range in the late fall but playing a full 18 holes would be a test. The course was pretty amazing. Not anything like our IL courses which is the reason we wanted to play it. I actually played pretty decently but it was a very very difficult course so my score wasn't something I've shot for quite a while. I didn't get too tired though which was great since it was pretty warm and I had to maneuver a bunch of (big) hills. I didn't bring my big camera but here are a few Istagram shots.
Views were pretty great!
While we were out doing that, Barrett was with hi s aunts and uncles at the pool. It ended up being one of the nicest afternoons and a great time at the pool for them. We had a little bit of time to freshen up before we were heading back down to Hanalei for dinner out. A few of us were looking for sushi so we decided to try The Dolphin. There was a little bit of a wait with a party our size but we checked out a few shops and were soon ready to sit. This was easily (for everyone, I believe) the major favorite. We all loved our meal. Joe and I shared some spicy tuna roll and I also got the scallops which were practically melt in your mouth. We also splurged on a bunch of shared desserts. I probably would have ate there a few times this week if we had the option. So good! Barrett was even able to have chicken nuggets for his meal which was practically his first non peanut butter and jelly all week. After we wrapped up, we headed back to the hotel for some sleep.
An exceptional day today. :)
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Project 365: Week 17
2 years, 6 months old
4-21-14
"I nakey"
04-22-14
Barrett goes through binges of certain movies. The current obsession? Peter Pan
04-23-14
Barrett got his new bedding today.
04-24-14
Bath time is a drink fest.
04-25-14
"helping" me wash my car on this gorgeous Friday evening.
04-26-14
A very busy day and no naps equals a 5pm bedtime. He practically fell asleep at the dinner table.
04-27-14
Necessary bath after a full weekend of sun and sweat.
4-21-14
"I nakey"
04-22-14
Barrett goes through binges of certain movies. The current obsession? Peter Pan
04-23-14
Barrett got his new bedding today.
04-24-14
Bath time is a drink fest.
04-25-14
"helping" me wash my car on this gorgeous Friday evening.
04-26-14
A very busy day and no naps equals a 5pm bedtime. He practically fell asleep at the dinner table.
04-27-14
Necessary bath after a full weekend of sun and sweat.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Kauai: Day 4
2 years, 6 months old
At this point, I had been taking notes throughout our trip but I fell off the wagon on Day 4 so this will be mostly from memory (which is pretty crappy these days..)
Monday, March 17: This was a day that we turned a corner some, in terms of time change. Barrett slept until 5:30 (!) which isn't a whole lot different than a normal day at home so we were all happy. We laid around a while and got some breakfast. Our original plan was to head a little northwest to the beach and some could hike the Hanakapaii trail along the Na Pali coast. The weather on the north was not as ideal (catching a theme?) as we would like so we changed plans and decided to head all the way south to check out that side of the island. It took us a while to pack up after hemming and hawing about what to do and we eventually loaded up. I was really hoping that B would nap on the drive but I wasn't really banking on it. Thankfully, he did! On the island, there is only 1 main road that you take around the entire perimeter to get to each little town. There is some construction happening so it took us about an hour to get to Wailua for our first detour. We stopped off to see the Wailua Falls which is in one of the scenes in Jurassic Park. Barrett woke up the second we turned off the car so we hopped out to check them out. There is a railing and then you basically plummet to your death so while the falls were incredibly beautiful, I did not stick around for more than a few minutes. Crazy people were standing on the railing!
Next up, we headed to Poipu. We wanted to go to the shopping center first to get some lunch at Puka Dogs. It was featured on Diners, Drive in and Dives (maybe? or some show on Food Network). It is a tiny hut basically where you order a hot dog or polish sausage then a certain garlic butter (mild, hot, spicy) and then a special relish. Joe and I got mango and it was SO good. Some people got plain ol hot dogs and others got a mixture of various relishes. We ate al fresco and then headed over to Poipu Beach. It was HOT down here which was exactly what we were looking for!
It was spring break on the island so there seemed to be a decent amount of locals around. We had more than enough space for all of us to set up though. Barrett played with his sand toys and played catch with everyone.
We basically laid on the beach, soaking in the sun and occasionally dipping our feet in the water. The guys all got in but it was pretty wave heavy and the water wasn't near warm enough for my liking. It did feel good on our feet when we needed to cool off.
After a while, the group next to us left so we shifted our camp over to the shade as the sun was beaming pretty strongly. Barrett took it upon himself to play with the sticks and bang on a tree.
After about 3 hours (before we were too fried) we decided to pack up and head back north. We wanted to beat the normal rush hour traffic of people leaving to go home so we rinsed off and headed back. I managed to snag a front seat spot so I could get some scenery shots. Kauai is the "garden isle" so it's very mountainous and green. Pictures cannot possible do anything justice here. It's crazy how amazing the island is.
Kauai's tunnel of trees is a stretch along the south shore and again way cooler in person then in pictures.
After we got back to the hotel, we headed straight for the pool to relax for a bit before getting ready for dinner.
Tonight was dinner in with the Saxton's cooking. We had various kabobs, asparagus, fresh pineapple and bread. We just lounged in the hotel for the night. I had planned on getting a dessert smoothie from the bar but they closed before I could make it down there! It was another early-ish night in.
At this point, I had been taking notes throughout our trip but I fell off the wagon on Day 4 so this will be mostly from memory (which is pretty crappy these days..)
Monday, March 17: This was a day that we turned a corner some, in terms of time change. Barrett slept until 5:30 (!) which isn't a whole lot different than a normal day at home so we were all happy. We laid around a while and got some breakfast. Our original plan was to head a little northwest to the beach and some could hike the Hanakapaii trail along the Na Pali coast. The weather on the north was not as ideal (catching a theme?) as we would like so we changed plans and decided to head all the way south to check out that side of the island. It took us a while to pack up after hemming and hawing about what to do and we eventually loaded up. I was really hoping that B would nap on the drive but I wasn't really banking on it. Thankfully, he did! On the island, there is only 1 main road that you take around the entire perimeter to get to each little town. There is some construction happening so it took us about an hour to get to Wailua for our first detour. We stopped off to see the Wailua Falls which is in one of the scenes in Jurassic Park. Barrett woke up the second we turned off the car so we hopped out to check them out. There is a railing and then you basically plummet to your death so while the falls were incredibly beautiful, I did not stick around for more than a few minutes. Crazy people were standing on the railing!
Next up, we headed to Poipu. We wanted to go to the shopping center first to get some lunch at Puka Dogs. It was featured on Diners, Drive in and Dives (maybe? or some show on Food Network). It is a tiny hut basically where you order a hot dog or polish sausage then a certain garlic butter (mild, hot, spicy) and then a special relish. Joe and I got mango and it was SO good. Some people got plain ol hot dogs and others got a mixture of various relishes. We ate al fresco and then headed over to Poipu Beach. It was HOT down here which was exactly what we were looking for!
It was spring break on the island so there seemed to be a decent amount of locals around. We had more than enough space for all of us to set up though. Barrett played with his sand toys and played catch with everyone.
We basically laid on the beach, soaking in the sun and occasionally dipping our feet in the water. The guys all got in but it was pretty wave heavy and the water wasn't near warm enough for my liking. It did feel good on our feet when we needed to cool off.
After a while, the group next to us left so we shifted our camp over to the shade as the sun was beaming pretty strongly. Barrett took it upon himself to play with the sticks and bang on a tree.
After about 3 hours (before we were too fried) we decided to pack up and head back north. We wanted to beat the normal rush hour traffic of people leaving to go home so we rinsed off and headed back. I managed to snag a front seat spot so I could get some scenery shots. Kauai is the "garden isle" so it's very mountainous and green. Pictures cannot possible do anything justice here. It's crazy how amazing the island is.
Kauai's tunnel of trees is a stretch along the south shore and again way cooler in person then in pictures.
After we got back to the hotel, we headed straight for the pool to relax for a bit before getting ready for dinner.
Tonight was dinner in with the Saxton's cooking. We had various kabobs, asparagus, fresh pineapple and bread. We just lounged in the hotel for the night. I had planned on getting a dessert smoothie from the bar but they closed before I could make it down there! It was another early-ish night in.
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