Baby News and Soccer Update

Things have felt very busy lately. There never seems to be enough time and it feels like everything needs my attention all at once. We've had some mad dashes to get the house clean. First, for Julien's aunt and uncle from the Quad Cities then for a friend in from DC that Julien used to work with. Although it's a lot of work, I can't have people over and the house be a mess and it helps me keep up with the house anyway. Olivia has gone back to sleeping in her swing. She wasn't sleeping well in the crib and seems to do better sitting up more. She gets congested at night, or at least that's what it sounds like. She would constantly wake up and it was getting a little old for me. So I tried her in her swing again and it worked. So, I've been in the living room with her as I refuse to take the swing up and down the stairs all the time. So far she'll do up to a 6 hour stretch between feedings and sleep up to 5 hours. She has one good stretch and then is up usually 3 hours later and then a little bit after that she's up for the day. She is the early riser I feared she'd be. Usually up at 6a although I can cuddle with her and convince her to sleep a little bit longer sometimes. I am not a morning person at all. I have no idea where she gets this early morning thing from. She's eating more at a time, up to 5 oz. She still has those times where she doesn't eat much and she eats more often. She has a horrible time getting to and staying asleep. And I still have to be careful laying her flat after eating or she spits up. She still fusses more than Aidan did. Although the sleeping at night seems to be helping some. But there's a two hour period from about 5-7p where she just fusses. It's her witching hour I guess. On the positive side, we are getting a lot more smiles from her. She can smile so big! It's so cute. Aidan has a flat smile like Daddy. Livvie has a big smile, more like mine. She also has started cooing which is equally cute. We have little talks. It's fun. She's starting to reach for toys above her when she lays on her back. I'm still having problems getting her to track an object past the midline. I think that will come with time though. She's getting big! She's too long for some 0-3mos stuff and into some of her 3-6 mos stuff. Aidan was 6 weeks when he moved into 3-6 mos clothes so she's not as big for sure. But I see more chub in her cheeks lately. And her head is big enough to wear headbands and not have them fall off. She looks so cute in them.

Aidan had soccer again today. Apparently all the kids took their hyper pills before class as they all had problems listening. In their defense, their normal coach wasn't there today. He still had fun even though half the time Daddy was trying to get him to listen. (I guess that really wouldn't effect his fun though would it?) He did really well at Red light Green light today. We practiced that one. :) And the big accomplishment was that Aidan was in underwear during soccer today. And no accidents! Yay! I took a little video today. I'm going to try to get some better ones next week. Tim and Gina will be here. I'm sure they will get a big kick out of watching Aidan at soccer too. So, enjoy the video.

Fussy Baby

As wonderful as Saturday was, Sunday was horrible. Saturday night was rough for Olivia. She had a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. It made for a long night. Then Sunday was a fussy day. She's had fussy days before. But this was the worst! If she was awake, she was fussing and crying. As soon as she was asleep she would wake up again, even if you held her. She's never been a big napper, not like Aidan was. Aidan would sleep for hours if you would hold him at this age. Olivia will sleep maybe an hour and then is up again. It's so interesting how different they are. Aidan was very predictable. His eating and sleeping patterns were that, patterns. She is so inconsistent. She'll have a couple good days and then a bad one. She'll be fussy and not eat or sleep well, then she'll have a day of good eating and be in a good mood. She'll sleep a four hour stretch one night and the next, only do 2-3 hrs. tops. And what you do one day will work completely differently the next day. The only thing that seems to be the same is that she seems to naturally wake up around 5-6a. (Although you can get her to go back to sleep for a little while.) I think she may be an early riser. Aidan will sleep until 7-7:30a normally, and every now and then 8am. Not Olivia. Both kids go to the pediatrician in two weeks and I think we may have to talk about her fussiness again. The doc was concerned there may be some acid reflux going on. I'm starting to think she may be right after yesterday. Olivia was sooo gassy and unhappy. Eventually last night Julien sat her up and kept burping her for about 30 minutes. She burped twice really big and spit up and after that, she seemed to be happy and fell asleep. She did better over night and today was been pretty good. In fact while I was making her a morning bottle, she looked up at me and gave me a big smile. (She has started smiling here and there. Usually for Daddy. ) I can only hope tomorrow is a good day too.

Another Potty Training Update

Aidan's been doing a great job this weekend with his potty training. In fact, he peed in the potty chair and emptied it into the toilet and flushed without Daddy noticing. Very funny! So I think he's got peeing down while he's in the house. Now, while he's outside and out running errands is another story. He's been doing ok outside. We remind him often and make him come in every now and then to try. But so far, he won't tell us when he has to go. He doesn't want to miss out on the fun. I'm open to all tips on how to handle going out and going outside. So far, we use a pullup which we call "training pants." He told me you can do whatever you want in a diaper and not use the potty so we make a distinction between the two to encourage him not to go in the pullup. It works pretty well so far. He gets up from nap dry for the most part. (We've tried nap in undies too with ok results.) But, eventually I want him to get used to undies all the time. I'm a little nervous about having him in the car with undies on too. I can only imagine cleaning up an accident in the car seat. Ugh. So, any tips are welcome! We've changed how we award potty presents too. He has poop in the potty or not have a pee accident all day. He still gets to put a sticker on his potty chart when he pees in the potty but no more presents. Maybe if he goes potty while out and about or coming in from outside. He doesn't really get fruit snacks anymore. I'm hoping in about a month he'll have peeing down pat and we'll have made good progress on pooping. Then I can start looking at preschools for him. At first that thought was really exciting. Then the more I thought about it, I started feeling sad and a little anxious for him. That's a big change. When the time comes I'm sure he'll be fine and I'll be the one having the hard time.

We've returned to playgroup, I'm happy to say. We went to our first one since Olivia was born. It was nice to get out and see friends again. Aidan loved playing with the kids although, he needed a little talk about sharing a garbage truck toy. It's interesting getting two kids out the door. I'm going to have to start a little sooner than I used to, that's for sure. ) But, it's good to get some practice. And play dates at some one's house is a nice, less stressful way to start.

Olivia is still growing like a weed. I swear she feels heavier than yesterday. She didn't sleep well last night which means I didn't sleep well either. She was wide awake at 3am. I took about an hour to get her to fall asleep again. Then she was up at 6:30a. So after a lot of fussing, we went downstairs. I slept on the couch and she slept in the swing. Julien keeps saying how he can't wait till we can use the Ferber method to teach her to fall asleep on her own. We did it with Aidan at 3 1/2 mos and it worked great! I keep thinking another 6-8 weeks. Then maybe I can get some sleep too or get something done around the house as she still likes to be held while she naps. Which is part of her problem with getting back to sleep. I know I shouldn't wish her life away but, it'll be nice when she sleeps at night and takes naps in her crib. Right now, I'd settle for a smile,which should be coming soon. Oh well, lots coming up. Playdates, doctor appointments, family visits. Should be fun.

Aidan's Potty Training Saga Continued.....

So, last time I mentioned that we are trying the whole potty training thing again with Aidan. We started last weekend and, although I really wanted this to work, I didn't have high hopes. But, I was determined to keep him in underwear and not cave and put him back into diapers like last time. Since we're going to be home anyway, seemed pretty easy. So, he had his new potty chair that he chose. And he had his new dino undies from Nana. We talked up the benefits of going potty. And the first couple of days, we didn't do so well. We had accidents and he didn't seem to get it. So, I read tips and advice on the internet and formed a new plan. This time, I bought John Deere fruit snacks (Which we don't usually have.) and he got those every time he sat on the potty. This worked much better than I thought it would. In fact, I started giving him half of the snacks at a time to make them last longer. Eventually he picked out Spiderman fruit snacks and we've moved on to them. Then, I stole an idea from a friend and told him not to pee on his dinosaurs (or whatever was on his undies). I had him try often and he seemed to like trying. Then, following a tip I read, I bought a bunch of little dollar toys and told him if he went pee in the potty he would get a "potty present." This was pretty motivating. He was pretty excited about his first success. Then he thought he got a present for just trying and we had to reexplain the rules. :) But, he was still peeing and pooping in his Pullup when we'd go out or at nap time and bedtime. Then Thursday came a break through. At breakfast, he kept complaining that something hurt him. I didn't get what he was trying to say and next thing I know, he's peeing at the table. It dawned on me, he had to pee and that's what was hurting him. So I explained it to him and cleaned him up. Soon after, he tells me that he wants to sit on the potty and, low and behold, he peed. Since then we have done much better. He tells me he wants to pee in the potty and he also pees when I ask him to sit. (We've started phasing out the fruit snacks and he doesn't get a potty present for every success.) He's played outside for a little while in undies and come back dry. He's stayed dry in Pull-ups when we've needed them too. Today was a big day. He didn't have any accidents today, including the two hour nap he had in undies. (Although I don't think he slept today.) He even played outside and stayed dry. So, riding this wave of success we've been encouraging him to poop in the potty as he hadn't done the deed yet today. He fought the idea all day today. He told me at one point that "it wouldn't fit in the potty." Too funny! I told him no matter how big it was I would clean it up. We kept asking him though. Finally, right before bedtime he told me that he wanted to go poop in the potty. Daddy scooped him up and got him on the potty quick. A few minutes later he popped up with a big smile and announced him had gone poop and pee. We were so proud of him! And I think he was proud too. Daddy told him he would get more fish for his tank this weekend as his potty present. I hope we've turned the corner and he keeps up all the success. The real test will be when we are away from home. Especially when we take trips in the car. But, it's nice to feel successful instead of completely desperate and hopeless. Hopefully I will have more success to report soon.

1 Month!!!

Hard to believe, but Olivia is one month old now. I can't believe it. Today was her one month check at the pediatrician's. Not only did I have her with me, I took Aidan too. I am bound and determined not to be intimidated about taking them out together by myself and keep taking trips here and there with them. And the doc's office is pretty contained. However, I have come to the conclusion that taking two kids out at the same time is pretty much like herding cats. To all those with multiple kids out there, tons of respect to you and I am in awe of whatever technique you have perfected! Anyway, Olivia is doing great! She is 10 pounds and 4 ounces and 22 inches long. She is 75% all around. Not as huge as Aidan was but she's still good sized. The doctor talked to me about trying to increase the amount of her feedings (funny huh since she's 75% already) to encourage her to sleep longer stretches, especially at night. I think she would like to see her sleep longer than two or so hours at a time and quite frankly, so would I! She also asked if she falls asleep on her own at all during the day. Sheepishly I had to admit no, not really. She likes to sleep while being held just like Aidan did. At night she usually falls asleep as soon as she's done eating but not so much during the day. Although today, she ate 5 oz over the course of an hour and now has been sleeping for about 40 minutes in her bassinet. Cross your fingers that we can repeat that progress again! I talked to her about Olivia's fussiness today. She woke up about 4am and was so fussy. Julien got up and tried to feed her and she kept spitting out the bottle to cry. But then she would be hungry and try to get the bottle back. Then she wouldn't go to sleep. So I took her and went downstairs cause I was afraid that she was going to wake Julien and Aidan, she was being so loud. Eventually she and I fell asleep on the couch. Through the morning she continued to be fussy. The doc said that if it becomes a regular thing to let her know. We talked about a couple things it could be so we'll see. She got one shot, which she cried at initially and then she was fine. I was surprised. I was also surprised at how well I took her getting a shot. With Aidan, I cried and nearly needed to leave the room. Amazing how time changes things. :)

An Aidan update as well. His bday is coming soon. I'm trying to decide what to do for it. He's not having the mega blowout that he had last year. Instead, we got him a fish tank and 4 tetras. I think we're going to have cake and ice cream and invite a couple kids over. Also, we are trying potty training again. I let him pick out his own potty chair and he likes his dino undies Nana got him. So we're trying. We'd like to send him to preschool but can't until he's potty trained. One thing he will get to do either way is going to soccer. I signed him up for Kickaroo class at a place called Vetta. They're known for their sports programs and have a really good reputation. Of course the closer we get to class time, I'm going to call and double check his registration. I've learned from the whole swimming lesson fiasco. But, he'll go on Saturdays with Daddy for eight weeks and learn some basics. They don't really play games yet they just get used to being in class. The next class up he'll go on the field by himself. I really hope he likes it. He loves to kick the ball around and seems to have some natural talent. I really want this to go better than gymnastics! Class starts the middle of September so we'll see! One thing's for sure, it never slows down around here!

3 Week Growth Spurt

This past week has been a challenge. Olivia hit the three week growth spurt. So, that meant a lot of eating, some fussing and gas, and a lot of getting up at night. Monday through Thursday night, I did not get a lot of sleep. Julien was a sweetheart and took Olivia all Friday night. He even slept with her downstairs so I wouldn't hear her and wake up. I really appreciated the sleep as I sorely needed it. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty though. Saturday Tim, Gina, and Ginna came down to visit overnight. Ginna hadn't seen Aidan in about 2 years and we were excited for her to meet her second great grandchild. While they were here, Gina and Tim volunteered to take Olivia Saturday night for Julien and I so we both could sleep. Talk about awesome in-laws! So I was able to sleep two nights in a row. Of course she slept better for them than she did for us all week. They're always better for the grandparents than for the parents, right? :) It was a nice visit. And my house is clean for the most part as we cleaned like maniacs Saturday morning before they got here. Sunday night it was back to normal and I got up with Olivia, who was back to waking up every two hours and being fussy. Last night was better though. She went 2 1/2-3 hours between feedings and fell asleep and a little easier. She seems to do pretty well in her cradle. I'm hoping she'll start going 4 hours between feedings soon. She already eats 3 ounces at a time so you think she could go a little longer in between. She does much better than Aidan did at this age. He slept in his car seat for the first 3 months. She's sleeping in actual designated sleeping area already. :) And he was up every two hours for a while. I remember being very tired with him. Olivia likes to sleep on us though. Especially napping during the day. She doesn't nap for long usually, but she naps longer if she's being held. I hope that changes soon too. I'm trying to be patient but, I'm ready to be on a schedule again. It's so much easier to get things done and it's much less hectic. I look forward to a set nap time for everyone so that I can plan errands and chores. Another thing that would help our day would be if Aidan was potty trained. He still has no interest in it. I really don't want to force the issue but he's going to be 3 awfully soon and still no progress or expressed interest. I'm getting tired of changing everyone's diaper all the time. We may need to try it again soon and see how things go.

Adjusting to Life as a Family of Four

The couple of weeks have all been about adjustment for our family. Managing two at a time has been a little tricky since Nana went home. Olivia is a pretty easy going baby so far. She has difficult nights here and there. Including last night into this morning but, I think gas was the culprit. She seemed much better after a poopy diaper. Anyway, the hardest part has been dealing with Aidan. I knew that this would be a big adjustment for him. His whole world has changed. He had my attention and time 100% of the time before. Now he has to wait cause the baby needs my attention too. So, he's had a hard time listening and following directions. I get tired of repeating myself especially when I ask him to do something I know he can handle by himself. Then today we went to run a couple errands. This was our test run of sorts. It was the first time we really ran errands the three of us. Aidan got a haircut and we stopped at Walgreens on the way home for milk. Aidan did great with his haircut. And he even had to wait 10 minutes for our usual lady. Olivia was asleep pretty much the whole time. (Finally, she had been fighting it all morning.) He got a sucker he was so good. Then we stopped for the milk. We almost made it out without incident. I even paid and was ready to go. Aidan threw a fit over a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. I asked him nicely toput them back. Did he? No. He cried. I took them and put them back for him. He threw himself on the floor at that. So I'm holding Olivia in her carseat, asleep, and the milk. Now I have to figure out how to get him to the car with my hands full and I'm still not able to lift him yet. So I put the milk in the hand that has the car seat too and grab his hand and drag him out. Luckily I was able to pull him to his feet and as soon as we were out of the store he was willing to walk, crying all the way. He was doing so well. I don't know what it was about those stupid pretzels. I hope my patience holds out and we survive this transition.

On a more positive note, Julien has been trying to teach Aidan how to tell knock knock jokes. It's pretty cute. He has one he can tell correctly most of the time. Otherwise, he makes them up and he cracks himself up. I'mhoping to catch it on video and post it. Also, he and Daddy are setting up his birthday present, an aquarium. We went to Petsmart last night and got a bunch stuff for it. I had no idea they were so expensive! Holy cow! This better work out and Aidan better love his fish, that's all I gotta say! He's very excited and having a hard time understanding that he has to wait till the tank is ready before we can get his fish. Life is just hard when you're almost three.

2 Weeks Old

Believe it or not, but yesterday Olivia turned two weeks old. The time is flying already. How is that possible? It seems like we just got her home. Aidan is warming to her but is more interested in his toys and playing. She just doing enough let to be fascinating to him. That will soon change. Olivia is eating a ton and growing everyday. I swear every day, I look at her and and see changes from the day before. She's starting to have decent periods of alertness and wakefulness. This morning she was up for almost 3 hours. Of course, part of that could be cause she likes to sleep on mommy's chest. She's particular about how she's cuddled. She definitely has preferences already. She sleeps pretty well at night. Although last night she had some problems getting back to sleep after eating. When she fell asleep then she was fine. In fact she slept for a stretch of about 3 1/2 hours. That may not seem like a lot but at 2 weeks, I'll take it! It's surprising how we've kind of fallen back into getting up at night. It still makes me tired but, I've adapted surprisingly well. I guess it's like riding a bicycle. I think it's been a little harder for Julien. Although he's stayed up a couple times to do the first nighttime feeding so I can sleep, which I always appreciate. And a couple nights, I did all the feedings so he could sleep all night since I knew he was tired. We're starting to figure out how to adjust our normal routine. Although, Nana left today. Now we're on our own and the hard part starts of figuring out how to manage two. It's not so bad when we're both home. It'll be more challenging when it's just me. Boy, was Nana a huge help! I don't know what we would've done without her. Aidan would've had a tougher time of it. Life would have been harder for me too. She was able to handle all the chores and errands that I couldn't do. I can't wait till I can drive again and vacuum and lift things. I hate feeling useless. But, hopefully the beginning of next week I will be doing some of those things again. I'm not trying to rush. The last thing I need is to be out of commission because I couldn't be patient. It'll be nice when things settle down though. I hope that's soon.

Olivia's First Week

It's hard to believe that a week has gone by already but, Olivia is now 9 days old. Time is already flying by. I guess when you spend 3 1/2 days in the hospital you lose track of time. A couple days after our discharge, we went to the pediatrician for our first visit. Once again, she was gaining weight, adding two more ounces. The doctor looked her over and told us unless there was a problem, we didn't need to come back until her 1 month visit.

Olivia also met the neighbors this week. We had a visit from another one of my friends from playgroup. Her 3 year old son is one of Aidan's favorite friends. So really that visit was more for him. But he needs some extra attention and it was fun to have a chance to talk with Toni. She and her family are moving to Germany in a few months (they're an Army family) and we'll miss them. Nana has been keeping Aidan busy otherwise. What a huge help she's been! I can't imagine what this week would have been like trying to care for Aidan too.

So, the breastfeeding.... In the beginning things went great. Olivia was taking to it. Then we came home. That day was successful. That night was terrible. She was up from 3a and trying to nurse often which I was expecting. But she popped off a lot and didn't want to stop nursing. By the next morning, I was so beat up. (FYI, this may get a little graphic. If it's TMI skip down to the end. I won't be offended.)By the end of that day, I was in enough pain that the thought of her trying to latch was terrifying. It was more painful than the incision at that point. So, I pumped for a few days hoping I would heal in the meantime and that I could try it again. But that wasn't happening. So after enough days of pain and bleeding and raw skin, I decided that I would stop. I was hoping that breastfeeding would be this wonderful bonding experience and that I would enjoy it. In the end, all I could do was stress about how I was going to feed Olivia and I wasn't spending any time enjoying her. That wasn't what I wanted at all. I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for moms who are able to make it work. And I know by bottle feeding, I open myself up to a lot of criticism and judgment. However, in the end I had to be honest with myself and what I was willing to do. Olivia continues to eat like a champ and gain weight. She's sleeping for longer stretches at night. And she's still gorgeous. :)

Olivia's Big Day!

Thursday morning came and we were up at 4:30a preparing for the big day. Nana got in the night before and Aidan was excited as ever to see her. So, as they slept, we got our bag, kissed Aidan goodbye, and drove off to the hospital. As we walked up to the entrance, I could feel the butterflies going big time. (Being up at the crack of dawn didn't help either.) They got even stronger as I was escorted back to a labor and delivery room to get ready. Nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists all paraded in and out, each with their little spiels for me. Everyone was really nice and very reassuring. I'm very glad the anesthesiologist was so upfront about what complications I could encounter and that there were ways to remedy them. More on that in a minute. So after I had my IV started and signed my paperwork, they gave Julien his scrubs to change into. (He looked so cute. Although he said so himself which wasn't as cute. :) ) I was led back to the OR without him to get prepped. Good thing too, I don't think the Dads should be there for the first 5 minutes, they are the most intense in my opinion. They sat me on the table and gave me the spinal which starts working immediately. Holy Cow! By the time I was laid down I couldn't feel my legs. Then they put up the drapes and get you all set. Except I started feeling weird. Remember those things they said may happen? I started feeling dizzy and nauseous. Then I felt like I couldn't breathe even though I could. The medicine comes far enough up the chest that it messes with a few muscles there and you start to feel panic, even though you are breathing fine. They gave me a couple injections into my IV for the nausea and to help my blood pressure and helped talk me through it. Soon enough I felt fine again. That's when Julien was brought in and the show started. Soon enough I felt tugging and pulling. I could hear the docs talking and hear some suctioning but before I knew it, she was out. I felt immediately lighter. And then she let out quite the cry! Boy can she be loud. I watched her get cleaned and checked. She was 8lbs 4oz, 21 inches, just one ounce off my prediction. Julien even got to cut the cord this time. They stitched me up and let hold her. She even rode with me when they wheeled me to recovery. The nursery nurse gave her a quick sponge bath and gave us our matching bracelets. We tried nursing right away and she seemed to take to it. I was so excited. I was so hoping. So off we were shipped to our postpartum room and by about 10a we were all settled. It made the day seem so long since we got there SO early. We kept trying to nurse and changed a lot of poopy diapers. We made all our phone calls and since the hospital had wifi, even posted pics of her. By the end of that day, they helped me sit in a chair to get out of bed. It actually did feel good. Especially to get out of those stupid compression leg wraps. They help circulate the blood in your legs to prevent blood clots. A little annoying after the first day. Morning of the second day, the took out the catheter (thank god!) and had me walk to the bathroom. That day I kept trying to get out of bed and walk a little. I even took a shower and that wore me out. I had a lot of visitors. Our neighbors the Walters came up twice to see us. Four of my friends from playgroup came and brought us presents. Grandpa Tim arrived Friday night and was able to come visit before visiting hours were over. With Aidan we only had a couple people come by, so it was nice that so many of our friends wanted to come wish us well. Anyway, I tried to keep moving like they said to. Everyday the pain of the incision and bruising got better. And with a lot of help, it seemed that nursing was going well. In fact, I felt good enough to go home on Sunday instead of Monday. The pediatrician was pleased with Olivia as she had gained back an ounce from the weight she had lost. (She went down to 7 lb 10 oz and went back up to 7lb 11oz) I had met with the lactation consultant twice that morning and I was feeling confident. (Of course everything changes when you go home, but that's another post.) So off we went. It felt so good to be home. I couldn't believe that I had spent three days in the hospital, had my first major surgery, and now I had two kids instead of just one. So much change in such little time. Now the hard part begins.

The End of the Journey

Here we are, my last day of pregnancy. Where did the last 40 weeks go? It's incredible how fast the time has gone. I'm ready for tomorrow and, at the same time, very nervous. I'm horribly uncomfortable, unable to sleep well at night, and very slow moving when I'm awake. I'll be glad to say goodbye to all that. Although, I'm trading those things for not sleeping through the night even though I'll have the ability, constant fatigue, and lots of soreness as I heal. So, it' s an even trade. :) I know in the end it will be worth it. I'll be so glad to see her face tomorrow and start learning about who she is and what kind of baby she'll be. But, as a second time mom, I don't have that luxury of ignorance about the first few weeks that lie ahead. I know exactly what I'm in for. I remember how much the recovery hurt, how hard breastfeeding was, and how little sleep I will be getting. So, as excited as I am, I also have asked myself, 'Am I really doing this again?' And the answer is, of course I am doing it again. I will survive just like last time. You secretly hope things will be easier the second time around. Even so, I know I will be so amazed by the wonderful little baby that I'm bringing home that I will gladly tend to her every need. But part of me is still looking forward to 3 mos and on. LOL! :) Aidan seems excited about his sister. He asked me this morning if his baby sister was coming out of my tummy today. I reminded him that was tomorrow and Nana is coming today. I'm amazed by how much he seems to understand, especially at his age. He knows I'm going to "the hospital place" and that his baby sister has to come out of my tummy. He also knows now that if she "breaks" my tummy the doctor will fix it and give me a band aid. He seems to know that I won't be home right away but I'm not sure that's really sunk in. And when I come home, I will bring Olivia with me. She'll be loud and cry and need lots of help. But, he's already had practice with our friends' baby and loves to help with him and play with him. (He even shared Tigger with him the other day. I know! That's big.) It's going to a big change for all of us, as much for me as it will be for him. It will be a big adjustment to manage caring for two instead of one. I've been told that I will think that one was pretty easy after having two, which I can totally see. Aidan's a pretty easy child to care for, all things considered. I've been very lucky with him. I hope my luck holds out for the newest member of our family. It was weird to hang out with Aidan this morning, knowing it would the last time we'd be together just the two of us. I know there will be times when I just have him, but it's the last time I will be known as Aidan's Mommy and only his mommy. I worry about how our relationship will change. I really don't like the idea of leaving him for four days and not being there for him. I don't like being away from him for too long or too often. I hope that we will still be close and he will still know that Mommy loves him and he has a special place in Mommy's heart. (Your first always holds a special place. Not that you love them more. I guess it's one of those things that if you have kids, you understand.) I know all these things will work themselves out in the end and it will be all right. You can't help but worry though.

So I will trying to enjoy my last night and relax. I'll hang out with Aidan and just enjoy playing. I'll finish the loose ends like packing and getting the seat in the car. I'll try to keep Julien calm. I probably won't sleep at all tonight and will be off very early in the morning to the hospital. Hopefully soon I will have time to write about the delivery and all about Olivia Paige. Oh and pictures too. Wish us luck!

Mommy's Weekend!!!

This was my weekend of freedom and relaxation. Julien and Aidan left Friday morning for Nana's and Grandpa's. I've had the house to myself all weekend. Let me tell you, it's been quiet. This weekend almost didn't happen. Aidan woke up Thursday with a fever. At first it wasn't bad and he was acting normal so, I gave him motrin. Then he got the chills and got really spacey. And the fever went up, all the way to 103. So, after a dose of tylenol and Aidan falling asleep on the couch, I called and made an appointment with the doctor. By the time we got to the doctor the tylenol had kicked in and his fever was down, he was acting better and had 2 popsiscles. No strep, no ear infection, just a red throat. The doctor gave us the ok to go on our trip but couldn't guarentee he'd be a happy camper. But, Aidan was very good and let the doctor check him out. She said to keep alternating the tylenol and motrin. That night, Aidan was playing and ate chinese for dinner like nothing had ever happened. (How do kids do this?) His fever went up a little but not much. Friday morning he woke up and was ready to go to Nana's. So, I packed the thermometer and medicine and gave Julien instructions on their administration. (Yes, I know he is an adult and can handle it but, it makes me feel better.) But, they made it to Nana's fine and Aidan seems to have recovered from whatever bug he had.
Friday was a strange day for me. It was very quiet. Almost too quiet. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. I had the constant feeling that something was missing or I was forgetting something. So, I ran some errands and got the last of my bloodwork done. I got my ID card for the rec center we joined almost 3 months ago. Yeah, I know, it took me a while. :) But I found out about swim lessons for Aidan and pool hours. I even orderd a maternity swim suit so I can take him. The rec center has an indoor and outdoor pool. I'm excited about this. Saturday I got my eyebrows done and cleaned the house a little. It's so nice to clean a floor and have it stay clean for any length of time. Saturday night was my girlie night. My friend Jen and I went to the Melting Pot for dessert (they're too pricey for a full meal) and girl talk. Then we went to the mall and shopped a little. It was a lot of fun. It's always nice to go out without the kids and be individuals every now and then. Not to mention getting dressed up and doing our hair and make up, which doesn't happen for me very often. Today has been more errands, laundry, and cleaning up. I know that doesn't sound exciting but, being able to do it at my own pace is wonderful. No rushing through the store, no rushing to get things done because naptime or lunch is coming up. And being able to take a break and rest while doing things. It's been really nice. It also helps that I got to sleep in until 8:30a today. I would've slept longer but someone was breakdancing this morning. :) I guess she thought it was time to get up and eat. Julien and Aidan come home tomorrow. I will be watching my friend Jen's baby tomorrow. It should be fun. I need to get back in swing of babyshape. I've enjoyed my weekend. I have missed my little guy a lot though. This is the longest we've been apart ever. But, he's had a great time without me and hasn't missed me much. Which is a little surprising and maybe a little disappointing. You want your baby to miss you but, in the end, I'm glad that he's done so well. It makes me feel that he will be ok without me when I'm in the hospital having the baby. He's become such a big boy. I'm so proud of him. But I will be very happy to see him tomorrow and give him a big hug and kiss.

Potty Training Update #2

Well, potty training hasn't gone swimmingly. We took a couple days off after our dead stop. When we started again we still had accidents but, at least there was more time between them. We haven't actually had any success since last week. We've had playdates and things that have made it hard to devote all morning or day to it. Aidan is starting to grab his diaper and say he's peeing or pooping. Although he still gets the two mixed up. There' s plenty of time. He'll get it eventually.

Potty Training Adventure Update #1

Last night, Aidan went pee in the potty three more times. Of course there were more accidents too but I'm focusing on the positive. Daddy coming home sort of distracted us and threw us off our groove. However, this morning Aidan pooped in the potty for the first time ever! Very exciting! Daddy promised him a rubber bug toy that he wanted from Walgreens if he did so, we went and picked it up today. Aidan now will tell me when he's going even if he has a diaper on. In fact, he seemed confused when I put one back on him this morning. Not so much warning me before he goes but at least he's recognizing the sensation of going. I guess we're taking baby steps. Stay tuned!

Doctors Frustrate Me Sometimes....

Last week, my nieces Emma and Sophie came for a visit and sightseeing. Aidan had a great time and we did a lot in three days. I will eventually blog about all of that. Things are pretty hectic right now. Julien left for a business trip on Monday, the day we left to take the girls back to Iowa. That's also the day that Aidan started running a fever and got sick. There seems to be a pattern of Aidan getting sick and Julien going out of town. So, we made it to Iowa on Monday in one piece. We stayed Tuesday as Aidan really wasn't up to traveling, and left for home on Wednesday. Thursday we went to the doctor. Unfortunately, our normal pediatrician wasn't available in the morning so we saw the other doctor. Nice guy but I knew as soon as I was leaving the office that he was wrong about his diagnosis. Call it mother's intuition. He said Aidan had a virus and there wasn't anything he could really do. As for his cough, try honey. In my opinion, I thought that was pretty weak. Against better judgement, I didn't say anything and took Aidan home. So when the fever wasn't gone today either and Aidan wasn't making any progress, I called the office again. Just my luck, our doctor is out today. Great. So I leave a message for the other one that I had no confidence in at this point. So I wait for a call. And wait. I'm getting frustrated. So I call and make an appointment so Aidan won't miss an opportunity to be seen if he needs to be. Good thing I did, cause the doctor didn't call until an hour before our appointment time and asked for me to bring Aidan in anyway. I have to wake Aidan up for this appointment which makes us both mad. Aidan has not been sleeping well and he was actually sleeping for once. When we walk in the office, Aidan is clinging to me like a rag doll and looks terrible. He has drainage coming out of one eye and his temp is going back up. At least the doctor will see what I see at home, I think. Even if Aidan is miserable maybe the doc will figure it out. We see the doctor and guess what? His right ear is terrible today. The doc seems surprised. Guess who isn't? That's right, me! We end up getting an antibiotic which is what I knew we needed yesterday. Sometimes I think male doctors don't listen to moms as much as female doctors do. Our normal ped. is a woman and she always asks me if he's following his normal pattern of when he's sick, how is this different? If he had asked me the same, maybe I would have had the medicine yesterday and we'd be a day closer to a healthy boy. Cause right now, I can't wait for him to get back to normal. To say I'm at my wit's end would be an understatement. Not only am I caring for him alone, after a busy week with my nieces and little time to recover, doing a lot of driving back and forth to Iowa, but I'm also fighting off a bug myself that my buddy probably shared with me. I can't wait for Julien to get back from Phoenix (which is where he went after his business trip) and to get some help and some rest. Julien says that I'm getting a couple days off when he gets home. We shall see....

Hive Update #2

Today is the last day of Aidan's antibiotic. He seems completely recovered from the strep. I called the doc on Monday and she said to use benadryl every 6 hours for the hives. And guess what, it really helped! They were improving on Monday but, by Tuesday they were on his legs only. And they were faint and fading at that. I think we are finally well. He's playing and eating (a ton!) as usual. We even went to Monkey Joe's to play with Gabi and Joey and their friends on Tuesday. Monkey Joe's is an indoor gym full of inflatables, like bounce houses and stuff. They have one that is a huge slide that the older kids loved. Too big for Aidan though. So he tried a littler one. He tried and tried to climb up steps of the slide and after much effort made it to the top. Then, he came whizzing down the slide and promptly told me he wanted to go home. Ha! Too much excitement I guess. We played for an hour and then had lunch at the only Panchero's in Missouri. (Mommy wasn't going to take no for an answer from Aidan. Luckily he thought the place looked cool and had a quesadilla.) Aidan fell asleep on the way home, too much excitement. Looks like we will make our Valentine's Day party on Friday after all! Yay! Maybe we can do something fun if the weather holds out this weekend. I'm just so glad that he's healthy again. It was a really rough week.

A Long Week for my Sickly Buddy

What a long week. Ugh. Poor Aidan has been so sick. First, the fever that yo-yoed all week. Then 3am Friday morning, he woke up with a temp of 104. Luckily, some Motrin and cold compresses helped and in 30 minutes his temp went down a whole degree. But, I also noticed he had hives on his face and neck. As his fever went down, the hives got lighter though. So, ER trip averted. Off to the pediatrician's in the morning. In the morning, Aidan was bushed and not happy about being looked over. He was especially unhappy about the swab for the strep test, which came back positive. The doctor warned that strep can cause hives in children, hence the hives the night before, and especially if they are sensitive like Aidan seems to be. Which , I did not know and found was good information to have. We went home with a prescription for amoxicillin, a sticker and a bag of goldfish (from the doctor's office.) Aidan was so wore out, he feel asleep in the car. After the first dose of medicine, Aidan looked better, had more energy, and the fever was gone. I thought we were in the clear. We went to bed and that was that for Friday.

Then, Saturday morning happened. Julien got up with Aidan and immediately brought him to me. (Saturday is my morning to sleep in.) He was covered with big, red hives. He had never had anything close to these. The back of his neck looked like a big sunburn and it was swollen. His right eye looked like it may swell shut as it had a big hive above and below it. Soon they spread and he had them all down his back, on his arms, and even on his bootie. His ankle got swollen and red from a big hive on it. We gave him benadryl right away. Nothing happened. I thought, it could be the strep, he needs his antibiotic. Halfway through giving him his dose, I happened to be reading the info card that came with the medicine to see that hives are a sign of allergic reaction. Next to that it said in big letters- CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. Great. So, a call to the office's exchange to page the doctor. Since both things could be the cause of the hives, it's almost impossible to say which it was. Out of caution, the doctor called in a different antibiotic to use to be sure. Other than that, the hives will go away when they go away. So, all day Aidan looked like he lost a fight. He played and whined like normal. But, I felt so bad knowing there was little I could do and I couldn't make the hives go away. Tonight he started his new antibiotic. And the hives on his face started to lighten and a couple went away too. Hopefully tomorrow he can actually leave the house. Today was a beautiful day and he had to spend it cooped up with us. Keep your fingers crossed that he continues to improve tomorrow. He has to be tired of being sick. Lord knows I'm exhausted from it.

My Sick Little Buddy

Last night while cuddling, I noticed that Aidan seemed a little hot. Lately, he's been the healthiest of us all. He's had a nice long stretch of good health. I guess our luck has run out. We sent him to bed with some motrin and he took his temp when he was asleep. His temp was fine. Then this morning, he was hot again. This time his temp was 101.6. I hate when he gets sick! So, more motrin. For awhile he was fine. No fever, eating and drinking, and playing. Then after nap, he was hot again! Sigh! His temp by this point 102.2. So, more motrin. He ate dinner and played all right. Then he wanted to cuddle and we put on a movie. (We watched Igor, which was good.) The motrin didn't seem to help this time. He still had the fever and seemed to get the chills, complaining he was cold. So, I gave him so Tylenol staggered in the middle of his motrin dose and put him to bed. I'll have to check on him later and see if the fever is getting better or not. I was hoping to put a doctor's trip off until Friday but, if things don't improve tomorrow morning, we may just go then. I hate when he gets sick. I feel so bad for him. And I feel a little useless too. Let's hope tonight goes well and his fever breaks on its own. Oh- and that I don't catch what he has. :)

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.

A week without Daddy

As I mentioned in the last post, Julien is gone on a business trip this week. Even without the exciting trip to the ER, this would've kept me busy enough. It's been a challenge. I spend all day with Aidan, right up to the time he goes to sleep. It's been a little difficult keeping him entertained. I think he's gotten tired of seeing me. He always looks forward to seeing Daddy at the end of the day and playing with him. Daddys just do things differently, you know? Thankfully, our neighbors are always happy to see Aidan and that keeps him occupied for awhile. But, even that has become a little boring to him. Personally, I'm too tired to be bored. It has really worn me out. Wednesday night was exhausting physically and mentally. Even so, the regular routine of the week has worn me out a bit. I have a lot of respect for single moms. I don't know how they do it. I really rely on Julien to be there to help and share the load. Most disappointingly, I don't get to sleep in on Saturday as I usually do. That is the one luxury I have yet to surrender. There will be no sleeping in this week and no breaks. At least we are heading up to visit my folks soon. That will give me an opportunity to rest a bit. However, it goes without saying that I am looking forward to seeing Julien on Sunday. I hope he is ready for some serious Aidan time. Hopefully I won't have to do this again anytime soon. Now I'm off to watch TV, eat some chocolate, play my DS, and fall asleep. Good night, everyone.