Test Results

I got the results of my 3 hour glucose test. I passed! I'm convinced that I can't, for the life of me, pass the one hour test. So, when I have to repeat the test in 3 months, I will just take the 3 hour test again. I also got the results back from our ultrasound and blood work from last Thursday. I have a 1 in 25,000 chance of a baby with Down's Syndrome and a 1 in 13,000 chance of a baby with trisomy 13 or 18, which is better than my age group. So, all around good news! Yay for good news!

The Challenges of Parenthood

Some days, I don't know how I get through without pulling all my hair out. I love my son more than anything but, boy can he frustrate me! Aidan has always loved bath time. In fact, he has cried because it wasn't bath night and he wanted to take a bath. That was until this weekend. All of a sudden now he doesn't want to either take his diaper off or take a bath. There have been a few things that have happened lately that may have contributed to this. Such as.....The other day, it was bath night and we were getting ready to get in. I asked him if he wanted to try to potty before getting in the tub. So he sat and sat and sat. Then he refused to get up. He never actually did anything but, he for some reason wouldn't get up. He eventually got in the tub for a quick bath, but really wasn't interested in it. Also, Daddy has been trying to get rid of Aidan's fear of water in his face by what I refer to as "tough love." Like dumping a bunch of water over his head without warning, turning the shower head on while Aidan's taking a bath without warning, and he's also turned on the facet in the tub while Aidan's in the bath and noise scares him. Now, Julien would tell me I'm coddling him and he'll get over it eventually. I tell him that of course it's the right course of action because he's been so successful with it. (He never appreciates my biting sarcasm.) Tonight, Aidan cried that he didn't want to take a bath and that he didn't want to take off his diaper. I tried to convince him to get in for two minutes then we'd get out. I told him that I'd get in too if he wanted. He cried and screamed so hard that he broke out in hives. I didn't know that could happen. Apparently it can. I got half of him washed and then pulled him out. Once he started to calm the hives went away. In fact, he calmed down once he got a new diaper on. Now about the diapers....Lately we've been encouraging him to try and use the potty. We got him a potty seat that sits on the big potty. He's gone to friends' houses and watched them potty training. If you ask him while he's getting a diaper change, don't you want to use the potty, he'll say , "No, want a diaper change." He's no fool. He couldn't be any less interested. Julien wants him to be potty trained by the time the new baby comes. I'm starting to think that we need to back off and not force a timetable on him. It's frustrating when you know kids that aren't 2 yet and they pee on the potty and your almost 2 1/2 year old won't even sit. I think Julien, as a Dad, is even more susceptible to the pressure to get your kid on the potty. I think though that it's starting to take a toll on Aidan. He doesn't want his diaper off at all. Today, if I took off his diaper to change him, he wanted a new one right away. And he doesn't want it off for bath time. Urgh..... Is it the age he's at? Is it the new baby coming? At this point, he knows that things are changing and it must make him stressed to some point. Maybe he's trying to hang on to some kind of dependence on Mommy and Daddy. Maybe he's just having a bad week. I talked to my mom about it tonight. She said, in her infinite wisdom, in so many words "this to shall pass." She said not to make a big deal out of the bath thing and sponge bathe him until he gets comfortable again. She reminded me that the bigger deal I make out of it the bigger the battle will be. If he says "no" to bath night, just say "ok. we don't have to." Eventually he'll calm down and things will get back to normal. She also reminded me that when he's ready to potty, he'll tell us. He'll know before we will. It's always reassuring to talk to Mom. She's like the voice of reason. Some days, you just need the moral support of someone who's been there. So, tomorrow we will start with a new attitude. We will be more laid back. If he puts up a fight, just let it go. Some battles aren't worth it.

Catch Up Post!

This is the post to catch up on everything I've been meaning to post about. I've been a little slow lately, as you might imagine. So, hopefully I can catch everything up now. Of course I want to touch on the inauguration. Aidan and I watched it on Tuesday. I tried to relay to him the importance of the day in a way a two year old might understand. He seemed sort of interested and then he was off to play. It was an exciting day for me though. I was an Obama supporter from the primaries on, so of course I was excited to see his campaign come full circle. On a personal level, it was incredible day to see an African-American man become president and see a new era start. I truly hope that this is a new day for our country, where hope and understanding rises above fear and ignorance. I truly think that is the only way we are going to move forward and become the country and world leaders that we are capable of being. Also, this is an exciting for the future generations. If you had asked me when I was growing up if I thought a minority, black or even a woman, could be elected president I honestly would have said no. Not because I thought a canidate who was a minority wouldn't be qualified for the position or because I didn't want them to be elected but, I never thought the majority of the country would actually vote that kind of a canidate. I thought there were too many narrow minded people. (which I'm not convinced yet they aren't......) To know that my children will grow up in a time when that thought is no longer relevant is amazing. They will know that anyone, regardless of color, gender, religion, can be truly anything that they want to be. What an empowering thought and belief to have! That's what truly excites me. So there, that's my take on the inauguration. And I liked Michelle's night dress better than her day dress.

Yesterday was my three hour glucose test. It was so much fun I think I'll go back and do it again. Ha! At least I don't have any horrible bruises and I'm not sore today either. I should hear this week sometime. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me. Either way, this weekend I am enjoying all the pasta, ice cream, and chocolate I want!

My pants are starting not to fit right anymore either. I haven't gained any weight yet but my belly is changing. It feels like it's soon for that, but I guess time is going quicker than I realize. As of next week I'll have 6 months left. That's not a whole lot of time when you really think about it.

In exciting news, my neighbor and good friend had her baby last night. And what a big boy! 8 and 1/2 pounds and over 21 inches! Ihope I didn't rub off on her! Ha! Now we are on doggie duty. And of course, one of the dogs is rubbed raw from his collar for the invisible fence! We just assumed responsibility for him and all ready he's damaged! We're good dog sitters aren't we? So, we have to go take care of his neck and let them out. In fact, I need to go take care of that now. Hopefully we will go see the baby tonight. It'll be weird to hold an infant again after so long but, it'll be good practice. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

This crazy week!

Julien's parents were here over the weekend. Aidan loves it when Nana comes to visit. It was a busy weekend. We went to the Magic House Saturday morning and played and played and played. Then we went to Dewey's for pizza. Then he ran Nana and Grandpa ragged around the house playing. At least he slept in till 8am for them. Sunday was football day and we watched the Cardinals win their first trip to the Super Bowl ever. I thought Julien was going to have a heart attack watching the game. At one point, he asked if we could take Aidan in the other room cause he didn't want to swear in front of him. Julien's parents left for home on Monday and we were off to see our friends, Gabi and Joey. Aidan had a great time playing with them for 2 hours. He even got to see their big brothers play drums and guitar. (They are really good! They need a singer so they can play gigs.) Aidan thought it was loud but he loves the drums. I think we have a future musican on our hands. Yesterday was Toddler Gym. Today was Toddler Science class and playing with dinosaurs. Tomorrow is my first ultrasound and genetic testing. Aidan was going to go back too Gabi and Joey's house tomorrow, however their grandfather passed unexpectedly last night. Our thoughts are definitely with their family. I know this is a difficult time. So, we've had to rearrange plans a little and our neighbor is going to take Aidan for us. Luckily Friday we have nothing planned! It'll be nice to slow down for a day, although Aidan will probably wake up and tell me he "wanna go." (Every morning we have something planned, he tells me that when he wakes up.) Saturday will be a Daddy and Aidan day as I go off to do my 3 hour glucose test. I really, really, really hope I pass that stupid thing. If nothing else this week, then at least I'll have the baby's first pictures. I'm trying to stay positive and be excited about that. :) Hopefully I'll be able to post those soon.

A couple big kuddos out to my friends on the east coast who attended the inauguration yesterday. My friend Meagan went down in the morning to watch the Obama be sworn in . My friend Safire and her husband, 3 year old and twin babies all went down to the mall and were able to hear the end of the President's speech. Big kuddos to them for braving the crowds in order for their children to be a part of history. I wish we could've been there too!

A Rollercoaster Week

This has been an interesting week. I started a new routine with Aidan at night. When we get ready for bed, we talk about what we will be doing tomorrow. We talk about where we are going and who we will be seeing. We also talk about the fact that we need to be quiet and sleep, not get up and cry at 3a like he had been doing. So far, it's worked pretty well. When he wakes up in the morning, he's excited and ready to go. So Tuesday, Aidan and I had playgroup again. Or as Aidan calls it, "More Kids." We went to the creation station at the Museum of Transportation. Aidan had a great time. He didn't really play with the kids this time. I guess he was too wrapped up in the toys. Sometimes he wants to see the kids but not really interact with them. Either way, he had a lot of fun and I got to talk to adults. After we left, Aidan asked for french fries as normal. So we went to McDonald's and had lunch. It was a fun morning. Then, Wednesday was grocery shopping and a haircut for Aidan. He did so well! For some reason after this hair cut, he looks so much older. Maybe it's the growth spurt too. But he looks so boyish, it amazes me. Julien had a trip to the doctor that day too. Of all things, he has an ear infection. A grown man with an ear infection. So funny! And he didn't get it from Aidan either. Then today was a trip to the Library and to Target. I'm glad we have been able to get out and do stuff. It helps him run off his energy which makes him a happier toddler and a better sleeper. That makes me a happier mommy. :)

And I was a happy mommy until this afternoon. I had my second OB appointment today. I had to make a late appointment to accomodate Julien's schedule. So, I sat in the waiting room for almost 30 minutes waiting to be called back. I was not happy about that. Luckily, once I was called back things went quickly. The doctor reviewed my bloodwork that was done on Friday. (Even she was impressed by my lingering bruise from the draw. Almost a week later and it's still huge.) Most everything was fine. Except my one hour glucose test. Why is it that I can NEVER pass that stupid test! Apparently there are two cut offs: 135 and 140. Most people use the 140. Since I failed a test in my last pregnancy and had a big baby, I am held to the 135 cut off. And my number was 139. So, next week I have to take the three hour glucose test. I'm not even out of the first trimester yet. This is SO not supposed to happen! I actually cried when the doctor told me. At least she felt bad. The kicker is, even if I pass the 3 hour test next week, I have to retake the test at 28 weeks. That's right, I get to do it again! I am so glad this is the last pregnancy for me. So now, they are worried about gestational diabetes (which increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes dramatically) and me having another big baby. *sigh* The good news out of this appointment, I got to hear the babies heartbeat today. Yay! That was fun!

So tomorrow, I have Mom's Night Out with my playgroup. (We're painting pottery.) And my in-laws are coming into town Saturday for the weekend. I hope the weekend cheers me up. Right now I'm pretty frustrated.

Toddler Art Class

Today was another playgroup day. This time we were off to the Magic House in Kirkwood for Toddler Art class. I have to say, if you have kids and are in the St. Louis area, this is a must! It is the greatest Children's Museum! They just opened an expansion so now they have 50,000 sq feet of space. It's incredible! We have a membership so the classes are discounted, which is nice. Today was Toddler Art and our first time at any of their classes. Aidan had a blast! He was so excited to paint. We really must use our easel at home more often. We played with home made play clay, made a stamp picture, did shaving cream fingerpainting, and played with "clean mud" made from soap and toilet paper. Aidan made so many pictures that we couldn't get them all home as they weren't dry yet. At one point while Aidan was painting, we were discussing the colors he was using when he looked at his painting and told me, "it's needs more blue." He's a Picasso in the making! It was so funny. The staff was really nice and helpful too. It makes the class even better when you have staff who obviously love what they do. After the class was over, we followed the other playgroup kids out to the preschool part of the Magic House. That was the only part that was open before noon. But that meant time at the water table, which was all that Aidan cared about. In fact, he just about ran over a staff member to get to it. Talk about enthuisam. While he played with the water, I was able to talk to the moms. I met a new mom to the group who's husband is overseas for a year. We talked about being in military families, as I can relate from our past experience. I can't imagine moving and then being alone for a long time. At least she has fmaily near, but still. I don't envy her position but give her full credit. After being at the Magic House for an hour and a half, I was able to drag Aidan away with the promise of french fries for lunch. When we got home, we ate and then watched some Caillou. At that point he told me that he was ready for nap ( which hasn't happened all week!) and went to sleep with out a peep. That's a relief considering the last couple nights. Aidan is my sleep lover. Always has been. Then things got a little out of sorts with being away for Christmas. We seemed to return to normal when we got home. He'd ask for a light to be left on though, which was unusual. Then that last couple of nights have been difficult. He'd cry he didn't want to go to sleep. Then he'd want the light in his room on. Then he'd cry that he wanted to see Daddy again. Then he'd just cry for a while. He'd lay down at 8:30 and not fall asleep until 10:30 or 11:00. Not like my boy at all. I think he's bored with Mommy telling him she doesn't feel good. He isn't getting enough activity apparently. After today's excitement and a 9:00 bedtime, he hasn't made a peep. He asks for Daddy often during the day. He even asked if Daddy was coming with to Toddler Art. I think he needs time with Daddy doing fun stuff and playing. He knows Daddy likes to do things and play rough and he needs that right now. Mommy being out of commission is stressful for him. I hope for his sake and mine that I get my energy back soon. I'm getting really tired of feeling exhausted and never getting anything done. My house desperately needs some attention. Tomorrow probably won't be any better. I have my first round of bloodtests, including my first one hour glucose test. I'm sure that I'll fanastatic after that. :) Wish me luck!

Getting Out and About

Today, Aidan and I went to playgroup again. It had been a while since we went to the last playdate. It was nice to see that Aidan is starting to recognize some of the kids in the playgroup, despite the time lapse. We were at the Toddler Gym again today. Aidan loves to run and bounce and check out all the equipment. It's actually the gym at the Y where they teach gymnastics so there are balance beams and bars. There's a tumbling trampoline. At first there weren't many kids there. After about 30 minutes, things picked up. But it was nice to have 30 minutes of relative calm. The organizing mom is actually pregnant too and is two weeks ahead of me. It was fun to commiserate together. :)

I'm really looking forward to the start of the second trimester. I really hope I get some energy back. I'm so tired all the time. I remember being tired last time, but this is ridiculous. The morning sickness changes from day to day. The worst time seems to be the middle of the day or dinnertime. Thank goodness for cereal! Some days that's what I survive on. Root beer has been a good thing lately too. It's kind of funny, the things that end up sitting well and the things that don't. Only a couple more weeks and I should start to see an improvement.

Hello Again!

It's been a while since I posted last. I apologize for not keeping up, although there are a few reasons as to why. Since my last post I found out that we are expecting baby #2 this summer. We are very excited about it, even if we were surprised that it didn't take as long to pregnant as we thought it would. But, Aidan will be a big brother and we are re-entering the world of sleepless nights once again. :) This will be a year of big adjustments for all of us in the Ross-Boon household. We are hoping for a boy as we can use all of Aidan's old clothes. Either way, as long as we have a healthy baby, we will be happy. I can tell you now, this will be our last one. I hear everyone saying, 'yeah right.' But, I'm absolutely serious. I now remember how I really don't enjoy being pregnant. The morning sickness hasn't been too bad. I have good days and bad days. Right after I found out I was pregnant, Aidan and I got some virus that caused nausea among other things. That was a rough week. Things haven't been that bad since, thankfully. I'm tired all the time. I can eat this time though. I can stand the grocery store as opposed to last time when the smell made me sick. I can stand the smell of meat for the most part. This time the smell of veggies cooking can turn my stomach though. It's funny how things change for one time to the next. I have my first ultrasound towards the end of January. I also have my first glucose test this month too. That's the fun of having a LGA baby, or large for gestational age baby. I get to do that test at least twice. Yay! I'm hoping I go on a good day and the drink doesn't make me throw up.

In other news, we went to Iowa for Christmas. Our trip was first delayed a day for a blizzard. Then while we were there we had below zero temps, snow, wind, fog, and an ice storm. But, Aidan loved being at Grandma and Grandpa's and playing with the dog. We spent Christmas day with my parents. Then, we tried to leave on Saturday for Des Moines. Unfortunately they got a half inch of ice that day, so we had to postpone the trip one day. We finally made it down to Nana and Grandpa Tim's on Sunday and Aidan had his second Christmas. He also got to see his Great Grandma again. We were able to stay until Tuesday night as Julien had to get back to work on Wednesday. But, our visit was a lot of fun. Aidan got to go to the Science Center with Daddy and Grandpa and the girls went shopping. And there was a lot of good food of course. I can't speak of the wine, as I won't be enjoying any of that for the majority of this year, but I'm sure that was good too. It was a fun trip, but we were ready to come home and sleep in our own beds. Aidan was especially glad to sleep in his room and see his toys.

As for New Year's, we were invited to four parties this year. I don't know how we got so popular. We never got invited so many places before we moved here. We were able to make it to two. We stopped at the Trevinos first. Aidan was able to play with his friends, Gabi and Joey. I kidded Aidan that Gabi's his girl. By the end of the night he would say yeah she was. Samantha was able to get the two of them on camera singing the ABC song together into a toy microphone. It was the cutest thing ever! The kids got to play and the adults got to have real conversations. It was a lot of fun! :) Then we moved on to our neighbor's the Walters. We played some Rock Band and rang in Midnight there. They have become really good friends to us. I'm so glad we found them here when we moved. It wouldn't be the same without them across the street. Anyway, Aidan was out by 10:30p and slept until 9:15a, with one wake up at 3a crying and looking for Tigger. (He started doing that in Des Moines. I hope this isn't a phase he's going through. Mommy hates getting up at 3a. I guess it's early training for when the baby comes. :) ) We all got to sleep in and have kind of a lazy day. Tomorrow I have to get cleaning and put the decorations away. I currently feel good enough to do it and you never know how long that will last. Sorry to everyone that this is so long and that it took a month to post it. I hope every one's Holiday was a happy and safe one. May everyone have a wonderful 2009!