Preschool, Playgroup and the Dentist

The last couple weeks have been all about the dentist, preschool and playgroup. After 3 years, I finally was forced to go back to the dentist. (Not my favorite place in the world.) I was having some sensitivity and knew if I didn't take care of it, I'd end up really regretting it. So, this week I went back to start all the work that needs to be done. Besides having cavities, all my old fillings are coming apart and need to be replaced. Fun! My friend Catie was nice enough to agree to watch the kids for me. Aidan was happy to have her daughter Clarissa to play with. After over 90 minutes in the chair and 3 attempts to numb my teeth, I was done with phase 1. I go back in 2 weeks for a crown and more work. Then one more appointment after that. Hopefully I won't max out my insurance before then.

Today was Aidan's first preschool conference. Julien and I dropped Aidan off together, which Aidan liked the novelty of, then went to meet with his teacher. She didn't have a lot to say cause he hasn't been there all year. But, he plays well with the other kids, behaves well in class, likes the dolls and dollhouses just like the other boys do :), is independent with all his bathroom skills. He's trying to trace letters on letter worksheets which his teacher was really happy with as it's skill that's a little beyond a three year old. But, she was impressed by his fine motor skills. So, no complaints. She suggested that we let him dress himself from now on to encourage independence and since he has the skills to do it. (Just not the patience.) She said to continue working with him on his letters, numbers, etc but do it in a sneaky way since he doesn't like to sit and do it. It feels like work to him and work is not fun. :) After the conference we came back for a parent-child pizza party, then home.

We've been trying to get to more playgroup events. It's hard with Olivia's schedule and Aidan in preschool. So we hosted on Monday. A few of our friends were able to come over and make a snowman craft, play and have lunch. And of course, us moms were able to get some social time in too. I love hanging out with my playgroup mommas! It's reassuring to know you aren't the only one having problems with getting kids to sleep or finding the perfect preschool.

As for kids sleeping, Olivia is finally napping on a schedule and for up to 2 hours at a time! Hallelujah! She isn't on schedule like Aidan was nor does she have the natural rhythm to follow like he did but, we're working on it and seeing improvement. She still cries at bedtime and naptime. Now it's about losing the pacifier just as much as about going to bed. Although I think she will always fight going to sleep. She's eating more baby food too. She loves sweet potato, squash, avocado and cereal. I think she looks forward to eating at dinnertime. I got out my baby food maker and tried it out with some squash. Holy moley, that thing is awesome! Wish I had it when Aidan was a baby. It was so easy to use and blended it so well. Much better than my blender for sure! My goal with Olivia is to make all her baby food and so far I've only bought her cereal. I really hope I can keep it up. I have a bunch of squash and sweet potatoes in the freezer and hope to add some more to it in the next week or so. Not sure what to have her try next. Maybe some peas or at least something that isn't orange. She's had a lot of orange. :)

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.

My Boys are Back

Aidan and Julien made it home safely Monday afternoon. It was good to see them! Aidan seemed a little more grown to me. Don't know if it was caring for a baby all day Monday or just the time apart. But, Aidan had a great time at Nana's house. We've been busy since he got home. We had three playdates this week and an OB appointment. Lots going on! And I'm beat already. We went to a nature center and took a hike on Tuesday, went to a friend's house for playing in the pool on Wednesday, and then went to the Magic House today. Aidan has had a great time and had some great naps this week as a result. :) My OB appointment was Tueday. It went well. Found out that I'm anemic and need an iron supplement. On the whole scale of things, I can definitely deal with that one. I hope I see a difference in my energy level. Aidan went with to this appointment. He really likes my new OB for some reason. When we were called back he started yelling "Doctor, where are you?" Very cute. Then when he saw her, he tried to follow her into her office. But she let him hold the measuring tape and the dopler for her during my appointment. He was very excited about that. As long as he's behaved during my appointments, that's all that matters. :) My back has started hurting often. I won't miss that part of pregnancy. Other than that, I actually feel pretty good. Just tired as normal.

Pregnancy Update!

As expected, I got the results of my weekend glucose test today. I am happy to report that I passed! Yay! Bring on the donuts! Ha! Hopefully that will be the last time I ever have to take that stinking test. But, I am always glad to get good news and things are going well for this pregnancy at this time. I see the doctor on Thursday. Hard to believe that we are approaching and just about to 7 mos and I will be going bi-weekly from now on. Time really flies. Soon I'll be desperately trying to manage two children. :) Speaking of desperately trying to manage children, we went to Grant's Farm today with the playgroup. All the kids were kind of cranky. So it was a little like herding cats. You know try to get them to do what you want but, you know you have no real control over the situation. But, Aidan had fun and loved seeing the kids. And he was exhausted when we got home so bonus! Either way, we have to get out and enjoy this playdates while we can. Soon it'll be too hard to get out a lot and then we won't be going anywhere for a while after she's here. Enjoy the chaos now before becomes a completely different kind of chaos, right?

Yes, Back In The Car We Go!

Well, here we are getting ready for another trip. I just can't sit still can I?? :) We're off to see my brother Brad this weekend. He's currently training at Ft. Riley for his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. I haven't seen him since my wedding and Aidan has never met him so I'm excited. (Yes, that would be 7 years. It's hard to get all 5 of us kids together. ) The driving will be worth it. Although, at this point I could do it with my eyes closed. Julien is unable to come unfortunately. He's the only one left at work so someone has to man the helm, so to speak. Fortunately I was able to reschedule my OB appointment to today so I stay Monday too. Come to find out though, my OB doctor is moving to Cincinnati at the end of June. There are two other doctors at the practice who can see me but, it's a little disappointing since I've been seeing her the whole time. Apparently her husband is a doctor too and got an offer out there. I'm sure the other doctors we will be as nice as she is and just as good. Everything went well, other than that. The baby kicked the doplar when they checked her heart rate, spunky little thing. :) I got the order for my next glucose test. *sigh* I hope this is the last one I have to take ever! I hate those things. I oped for the three hour test, why waste time? Let's just cut to the chase. :) My friend Samantha was nice enough to agree to watch Aidan for me today, last minute and all. So he played with his friends Gabi and Joey and wore himself out. It's funny how they are starting to interact. Sam said they were actually talking to each other, working stuff out. Like one would ask for a turn or want a toy and say so, another would say 'oh you want this' or something like that. It's awesome how they are starting to really interact and be social. And the oldest is 3 so it seems early but they love to play together. Joey calls Aidan "Aidy" for some reason. It's kind of cute. Well I should go pack. Hopefully there will be another trip to pack for but, this time one for just me. :) I complained on Facebook how Julien got a vacation and not me. So a friend from HS got a crazy idea to have a little HS Moms reunion so we can have a responsibility free weekend. I hope it comes together because it sounds like so much fun! Hopefully I will have good news soon. :) Happy Easter to everyone!

Hosting Playgroup!

This past weekend was devoted to cleaning the house. Even Julien cleaned, that's how serious I was. :) It needed to be done as Aidan's cousins are coming this week and I hosted playgroup yesterday for about 5 Moms. And there was no way I was having everyone over to a dirty house! So, yesterday my house was cleaner than it's been ever maybe, and we had everyone over in the morning to play and have some snacks. Aidan was so excited to see all the kids coming. At one point he started running laps because he was so excited that he had so many kids to play with. :) He did a great job sharing his toys and taking turns. And there were 6 kids to share with. (And two infants.) It was a nice opportunity to be able to talk to the other moms. It's always easier when you can confine the kids to a couple rooms and let them go. Much easier than trying to supervise at the park or zoo and hold a conversation. In fact, three of us were having such a great conversation that the shindig didn't break up until 1pm and it started at 10am. In the end, it was worth all the cleaning and preparing. The kids liked the fruit pizza I made them and the moms were all really nice. All in all, a successful playgroup!

I tried to relax the rest of the afternoon. However, that laundry was just calling my name. After I was done folding, I made the foolish attempt of lifting the basket from the floor. I won't do that again. I pulled a muscle in my abdomen. And when I did it, I knew I had done something bad. It hurt! At my last doctor's appointment, my doctor even warned me about moving slower and being more careful about how I move as my muscles are being stretched and I can pull something. Taking a whirlpool bath last night helped and so did the tylenol but, I can still feel it a little today. I will try to move slower today. If it doesn't get done then I'll leave it for Julien to do. :)

We leave soon for our trip to pick up the girls and start our fun Cousin Weekend! Aidan can't wait! It should be fun!

Picture Post

Here are the pictures from Aidan's Valentine's Day party. He had such a good time.

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.