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Friday, November 21, 2008

A Peek at Baby B

Yesterday we had our 23 week ultrasound. It was amazing to see the little bugger arching it's back, pulling it's feet up to it's mouth (almost sucking on it's toes!) sticking out it's tongue (!!!), turning it's head towards the wand, and even seemingly smiling at the camera!

You probably noticed we didn't find out what it was (all the "it's"). The sonographer didn't even look, so no one knows, which makes it a lot easier to not think about, or not have the temtation to call the doctor in a moment of weakness and find out. I did have a moment of weakness as we walked up to the appointment, but Stephen asked me which surprise I want more, and I want the delivery room surprise the most!


This little one has the same type of face and nose as Truitt did. In fact these ultrasound pictures look just like Truitt's. I wouldn't be surprised if they look alot alike, which is fine with me, 'cause my little guy is so cute, if I do say so myself! The only "bad" news we got was that Baby B is in a breach position, but the sonographer and the midwife assured me that this is fine and the baby still has a ton of room and time to turn. Truitt was head down from the get go, so this is new for me. They said not to worry until 37 weeks, but I hope this little one turns way before then! Otherwise Baby B is perfect: a four chamber heart, a healthy brain, no spots on the kidneys or spine, two arms, two legs, two ears, two eyes! But I won't feel totally secure until I hold this precious little one in my arms and count the fingers, the toes, and give it a ton of kisses!


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Truitt Update...18 months today!


Our little man is officially 1 1/2! In just six months he will be two and a big brother (I foresee much change/ growing up in the future!) We don't have to go in for his next check up until he turns two since we were in for his one year check up at 15 months.
So here are a few of the latest...

Words (20):
gog = dog; mama; mommy; dada; car; uh-ohh; eh-ii = ready; eehh= set; go; ouw = any of these: ouch, out, up (will say uuhh for up if asked to); ii-eee = kitty; ha = hot; eye= hi; ba-bah= bye; baa= ball; wow; oohh;loves to say the "T" sound; also says "oh si" alot, after making a mistake, or dropping something, I am afraid to know what this is, but I am almost positive it is "oh sh#t"...nice!

Also yesterday (11/18) he repeated "oui" for me at the breakfast table!

Occasional words (4):
daddy, guck= truck, fu-gu or just Ooohhh= firetruck, heeeyy= helicopter

Signing Words(11):
Milk, Please, More, Bath, All Done, Hot, Water, Cracker, Eat, Shakes head no or yes, and will also sign please at the same time if needed. This week we are working on help and thank you, he is almost there!)

Maybe someone out there with a speech background knows if signing words count as words as far as language acquisition and development goes?

Teeth (12):
In the front, four on top and four below
one molar on the lower left side
one molar on top of each side
Another coming in just this week on the lower right side

Height: 32.75 inches
Weight: 22.5 lbs (with clothes and diaper)
These could be slightly off as I was trying to do this myself with a squirmy one!

He knows a lot of head and body part words and loves to have us ask him to show us.

He can follow almost any command we give him. (11/2) I asked him to throw something away in the garbage. I wasn't sure what he would do, but he went right to it and did it! He is really into helping right now, well except for cleaning up his toys, he doesn't understand that at all! I did sing the clean up song today and he just stared at me with the strangest look on his face, almost saying "how do you know that song!?" (like he would know it from somewhere else!)

He seems to be imitating what we are saying, every day there seems to be little phrases he will repeat. It is never the same phrase, nor is it clear. But the intonation and syllables and basic sound is the same. The words don't stay around, and when we make a big deal about it he seems to be a little embarrassed!

He learned how to play "ready, set go" with his cousins when they were here in October, and now he loves to do this when we go on walks.

He loves to dance and sing. He has even come up with a few of his own moves. We have tried to get it on video, but he usually stops when the camera is out. As he plays his xylophone he will sing along (which he is doing right now as I type). Hopefully we can get some of this on video soon!

He has been taking his naps in his big boy twin bed with a rail attached to it since about September. He usually wakes up, gets out of bed and goes right to playing! Sometimes he wakes up a little grumpy, but that is definitely not the norm. It is fun to see him be able to do some things so independently.

He is understanding more and more about going to the bathroom. He has shown interest in this area since he could crawl. At that time he would crawl over to the changing station and get me a clean diaper after he pooped. He started hiding while pooping as soon as he could walk, and still will not poop if he can't have some privacy or alone time. Now he sits on his potty while we use the big toilet, he'll even read a magazine while he sits there! He also wants a piece of toilet paper when we get ours, or he'll get it for us too. He'll throw his paper in the big toilet and wave bye as we flush the toilet.

He found one of the vacuum attachments last week and will walk around the house making a distinct vacuum sound while pretending to vacuum.

Books in a Bottle gets away


Mary on the beach with her awesome walking stick


Tiffany holding up a cool ladder washed up on the beach. We both wished we could atke it home and do something cool with it!


A tree washed up on the beach!!!


A view of the debris on the beach


Mary, Tiffany and I with the Pacific Ocean

Last weekend I went to Lincoln City on the Oregon coast overnight with my book group. We were very lazy, but it was great to get away and have a full night's sleep without any interruptions! Saturday we had lunch at Blackfish Cafe, yummy! Then we spent the rest of the day shopping! By 4:30 we were exhausted and starving, so it was back to the condo for pizza, movies and lots of talking. Sunday we took a walk on the beach, which looked more like a disaster scene from a movie, due to a storm earlier last week, ran back to the outlets for a few more things, and then headed home! Truitt didn't even blink when I walked in the door, but Penny was thrilled I was home, at least I got some excitement from somewhere!

Saturday night I also spent some time making a schedule for Truitt and I and writing down some goals for us. It has helped a lot and we have had a much better, more well rounded week!

Friday, November 7, 2008

More Songs for Obama!

Okay, I went a little crazy, but they were all so good! So get up and get moving for our future!













Thursday, November 6, 2008

Yes We Can!

We are extremely happy and relived that Obama has won! I saw this video over at Mom-o-Matic, and just had to share it too. Don't you think they should play at either the inaugural ball or at least on some TV celebration?

You'll have to pause the music above to hear it.


Monday, November 3, 2008

An Afternoon Alone

Last Sunday I had the whole afternoon to myself, I left at lunch time and didn't get home until dinner time! I was a little sad to be leaving my guys, but I knew I needed the break. I did some shopping and then sat in a coffee shop and had some peppermint tea and a brownie for twenty five glorious minutes all by myself while I waited for book group to join me. It was divine to sit in silence and watch the shoppers and just enjoy the moment.

Then we went and saw The Secret Life of Bees. Oh my goodness, BRING TISSUES! I was a complete mess! But a great movie with great acting, and very appropriate to see before the election too. You will leave happy your life is so easy and good!

It has been so long since I saw a movie in the theater!!! Probably three years. It was really fun! I returned home very ready to see my guys! Thanks for the break honey!



Next weekend I will be off to the beach for a couple days with book group. I am really looking forward to sleeping in! I know I will probably get teary eyed leaving home, but will enjoy some time to relax! And will be ready and rejuvenated when I come home.

VOTE!



We walked to the county clerk's office this evening to turn in our ballots. We bundled up and battled the rain, sloshed in puddles, and kicked the leaves all the way there and back. I am so glad we vote through the mail. It took Stephen and I three hours to fill in our ballot on Saturday (we always vote together, take turns reading about the measures in all the guides, and discuss the measures). I don't know what I would do if I had to memorize all the issues and go vote. I would be in there for hours, with all my voting guides!!! So get out and vote or make sure to turn in your ballots!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Twenty weeks, Half way there!


This week I am twenty weeks pregnant. I can hardly believe how fast this pregnancy is going. It has not fully entered my conscience that we are having another baby. Even though the baby is kicking all the time now and I really am showing (finally). Even as I rocked my little guy to sleep tonight and felt Baby B moving around. I am just having a hard time with the realization of it. We had to go through some muck to finally get our sweet Truitt, but this baby just came to us easy as pie. It is a much different sensation.

This pregnancy has also been much harder then with Truitt. Both emotionally and physically. I haven't shared this with everyone. We were so happy to be pregnant, but then the reality of it settled in. I battled with a lot of anxiety and depression for the first 16 weeks. A few times a week I would be crying by the afternoon, so unsure of myself as a mother, feeling as if I was abandoning Truitt, and feeling so disconnected from the baby. It wasn't until I saw Truitt playing with his cousins that I realized he is going to like having a sibling, and that we are all going to be okay, even blessed by having our kids close together. It will be hard at first no doubt, but Truitt is going to be okay, and our family with be better for it.

Physically, I have been having a lot of pelvic pain and pressure since about week 11. Week 17 I finally started water aerobics and stopped doing Stroller Strides, which has helped a lot. But I still have to sit down quite a bit in the evening, and my sciatic nerve has started flaring up if I don't rest enough. I can feel it all the way from my tail bone down around my thigh and into my foot! I never had that with Truitt. I think it is so different this time because I am carrying the baby quite differently. I am not all out front like I was with Truitt. This baby is just now popping out and I feel much wider then I do all in the front. You can't really tell from the photo above, but I also feel like I am carrying a bit higher. Many people think this means I am having a girl, but I am trying not to let my mind go there as we are not finding out the sex this time. We even played an old wives game over my birthday weekend where you put a needle in a pencil, then put a string through the needle, and hang the pencil completely still above the mother's wrist. If the pencil goes across the wrist from side to side it's a girl, if it goes up and down from fingers to arm, it's a boy. Well, that pencil started going crazy from side to side! But, like I said I am really trying to keep an open mind, because even though I want to know, I want the surprise more.

I have had three dreams that it is a boy, but I have never woke up with a certain feeling about it. I had a dream with Truitt that he was a boy, and I woke up so certain. I was hoping for a girl, but I knew that was wrong. This time saying it is either one doesn't feel completely right, so I really don't know what to think.

I do feel bad that I don't have time to just lie around and dream about this baby. Truitt has a whole scrapbook of my pregnancy. This one will have a few pages! I enjoyed every pain and every movement with Truitt. Oh well baby B! One good thing about not being able to just lie around and dream about baby, less weight gain, much less!!!

October Came and Now it's Gone

So I didn't post for all of October, and it was my favorite month too!

The beginning of the month was full of house projects in anticipation of family coming to visit from Chicago. This meant Mama got no break as Daddy was busy every night after work upstairs! But now we have a real bedroom with walls and heat, hallelujah!! I never realized we were living in basically a log cabin bedroom, what a difference!



Truitt is now fully aware of the computer and all it's workings. Let's see, he has almost deleted the camera software from the hard drive, and changed a few orders in Stephen's work files, just to name a couple. Much like my phone, he has found many functions that I did not even know about! Needless to say, my time typing while he is awake is over (also I can't really talk on my cell phone while he is awake either, unless he is fully occupied or in the car.) This has made it a new challenge to find time to blog. Now it is very late, but I know I need to get caught up!


Then we had Stephen's brother, his wife, and their kids here for a week. We had a blast! It was great to watch the boys play together non-stop all week! We spent a couple days in Seattle (packers were playing) before coming back down to McMinnville. Once here we visited a winery and had the boys pictures taken, strolled around downtown, went to the Evergreen Air Museum and took helicopter rides, visited the Roloff family pumpkin Farm, and carved pumpkins. We miss them already and are sad it will be over a year until we see them for Christmas 2009!

Amy Roloff, the kids were hungry and about to have a melt down so we couldn't wait for a photo with her, boo!

Stephen was out of town twice last month too. The last trip was over my 30th birthday weekend! I was pretty upset about it for a while, until I decided to have a girls weekend. It was so much fun to have all my girlfriends here! We talked until 3am! Ladies will understand when I say that it was very rejuvenating to have a chance to talk with my friends that much! We ate great food, and all rode a helicopter for the first time too. (Even Truitt got to sit on my lap! He was mesmerized!) It was a weekend full of fabulous memories. And now it is going to be an annual event as Stephen has this same conference about the same time every year.

One of the girls landing

The girls from my helicopter take off

View of McMinnville from the sky!

And one more fun happening in October:

Singing with Thomas Lauderdale from Pink Martini!!!!!! We went to a political rally at a farmer's barn and there he was with a piano, a violinist, and a stack of lyrics.

I sang Hang on Little Tomato. It was so much fun. You know you are singing with a true professionel when they make you feel so at ease, when you are usually so nervous. I had so much fun, I forgot all about my nerves and was actually sad when it was over. He asked for more songs and singers at the of the event, and I totally regret not also asking to sing Clemetine (both songs can be found above in our playlist). Well, maybe someday I will get a another chance!


Oh how I hate this picture of me! But at least he's short and round like me!


This past week we settled back into our normal routine and got ready for Halloween.

Now as we enter November, I am so excited for the holidays! This will be our last Christmas with just one child and I look forward to watching Truitt figure it all out and showing him the joy of the holidays: being with family and friends, baking, playing in the snow, and sitting by the fire cuddling in front of the Christmas tree!

Mystery Food Gifter Strikes Again...or was it the Great Pumpkin!

We had another visit from the Mystery Food Gifter last night. This time the box included a big bag of rice and a pair of pants for Truitt. So it is someone who knows Truitt (they were the right size) ...hmmm, we are so curious!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Happy Halloween!


It is now the first weekend in November! The rain has settled in here in the northwest (which I find very comforting!) The leaves have past their prime and are falling off the trees at record pace, mushing in the streets and on the sidewalks. I never did take a picture of Truitt in a big pile of leaves this year. Maybe we'll get a sunny afternoon soon and I can still give it a try, but I may have missed my chance. Last weekend was definitely peak color for the leaves, with beautiful sunny weather too, but there didn't seem to be that many on the ground to rake up, plus I was completely exhausted from my girls weekend (more to follow on that event!) Oh well!

Yesterday was Halloween. Truitt was definitely curious about it and willing to play along, even though he didn't quite get it. It is interesting that he has been uber into his Halloween board book for a few weeks now, wanting to read it three or four times a day. He pulled it off the shelf after our first monthly trip to the grocery store in October. It took me a couple of days to realize that he must have noticed the pumpkins at the store and remembered seeing them on his book. From there it seems he started making the connections all on his own about all the decorations he was seeing.

Wednesday and Thursday night I finally HAD to put the finishing touches on Truitt's Charlie Brown costume, the jagged stripe! Since I do not know how to use a sewing machine, I just used felt and then did a quick whip stitch to put it on the shirt. I know it's not much, but as I sewed late into the night on Wednesday, I definitely felt a right of passage. I was sewing my child's costume! Even though I was tired, I was happy to really feel like a member of the mom club!

Halloween morning we drove off to Vancouver so Truitt could trick-or treat at my Dad and Step-mom's house (they had the day off as it is a major holiday for them!) , and stop by my mom's work. What a wonderful idea, right? Well, not when your kid is cutting two molars and didn't sleep the night before! It would have been okay had he woke up at his normal time, but as he slept in, then had to get right in the car, then be shuffled around for three hours without a real chance to run around, then drive home for an hour and twenty minutes. Needless to say, he was frustrated, and I was exhausted, and we won't be doing that again! If we go up again next year, it will be with a nice long stop somewhere so he can play for a good long while. But with two in tow next year, we'll just have to see!

Once we got home though I completely made it up to him, and his frustrations melted away, as did mine! Our town has a wonderful Halloween celebration for the kids. We don't get many trick-or-treaters as a result (maybe 5 to 10) but it really is fun anyway. At 3pm they close the main downtown street off and have hay rides and a hay maze down the street for the kids. Then at 4pm the store owners sit out front and pass out candy as the kids and parents make a giant parade line down and around the sidewalks to trick-or-treat. The coffee shop even had free coffee out for the parents! We just went to a few stores before Truitt was done, and of course the police and firemen stop was a must! Everytime he got a peice of candy he was intrigued with that one piece. After a few tries of people giving him candy, he started giving them his candy! Seems logical, he was just sharing too! Soon we just walked down the middle of the street and looked at all the great costumes. Everyone dresses up: kids, parents, and dogs too! We even saw a parrot!

After trick-or-treating it was happy hour at McMenamins, and some new friends Chrissy, Graham and their daughter Cora joined us for a quick dinner. Just a side note...since when does a lemonade cost as much as a pint of beer? Geesh!

We then walked home stopping at our neighbors along the way. I wish we would have left a little more time for this, it was more fun then I expected, and fun to reap the rewards of my months of searching for all the pieces of Truitt's costume.

At 8pm it was off to a co-workers Halloween party. We were exhausted, but it was fun to stop by for a little while. When Truitt lied down on the floor in the fetal position, we knew we had run our course! They live about six blocks from us, but by the time we drove home Truitt was out! He was so tired he didn't even wake up for a diaper change!

Wow, what a Halloween! Full of learning experiences for all (the biggest one for mom) and so much fun too!