Monday, May 30, 2011
Water Fun
Noelle got a water table to entertain her outside during the dog days of summer. Mommy is pretty sure that this summer's weather isn't going to be as cooperative as the weather of 2009 since it is already supposed to be 97 degrees tomorrow! Oh well, my ankles look better in their swollen state, right? At least we have this fun table to keep us cool!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Our Visit to the DC Zoo
On Thursday night my mom came for a quick Memorial weekend visit. I have been meaning to take Noelle back to the zoo (the first trip at 10 months wasn't so successful) so we decided Friday was the day! And success was had! Noelle loved the animals and the zoo, and I loved not taking the metro there since that was the major force of anguish on our last trip! And the free parking in the neighborhood didn't hurt either!
Since it was so hot and crowded and we didn't want to mess much with nap time, we decided that a two hour visit would be perfect. In the two hours we saw the panda (if we stood on our tippy toes and looked from the correct angle, a baby elephant, the bird house, two adult elephants when we went by again, the lions with their new cubs, prarie dogs, reptile house, gorillas, and a few monkeys. The big hits for Noelle were definitely the snakes and huge tortoises in the reptile house, the gorillas, and the baby elephant. Mom and I loved seeing the lion cubs even though they were mostly just lounging in the sun.
All in all it was a good day. Here are some pictures from the adventure. You'll notice pretty much every one is of Noelle pointing in awe at some animal!
Since it was so hot and crowded and we didn't want to mess much with nap time, we decided that a two hour visit would be perfect. In the two hours we saw the panda (if we stood on our tippy toes and looked from the correct angle, a baby elephant, the bird house, two adult elephants when we went by again, the lions with their new cubs, prarie dogs, reptile house, gorillas, and a few monkeys. The big hits for Noelle were definitely the snakes and huge tortoises in the reptile house, the gorillas, and the baby elephant. Mom and I loved seeing the lion cubs even though they were mostly just lounging in the sun.
All in all it was a good day. Here are some pictures from the adventure. You'll notice pretty much every one is of Noelle pointing in awe at some animal!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Anatomy Scan
This morning I had my 20 week anatomy scan for Alien. It was already our 4th ultrasound for the little guy, and you'd think you'd get used to how cool it is, but no, every time you see your little one in there with a beating heart and moving arms and legs it is pretty amazing!
Alien appears healthy and is the in utero opposite of his sister. With Noelle we could never see her back and spine. Alien doesn't like us to see his front, hence the lack of pictures posted here. We got a quick profile shot at the very end of our ultrasound, but otherwise the little guy was swimming around on his tummy, giving us an awesome view of every vertebrate but keeping us from checking out whether mommy or daddy's nose is at play with this little one. We got to see the heart beating for about 30 minutes as they tried to get a specific 4 chamber shot, and that was cool. Alien's heartbeat was 146, so pretty consistent with what it has been the last few checks, and about 20 beats less per minute than Noelle's. So maybe there is some truth to the heart beat gender old wives tales!
We quickly glimpsed 2 cute feet, hands, fingers, and boy parts. Alien doesn't like to stay still for long so the ultrasound tech had to do some fast work with the equipment to get anything she needed! But so far things look good and it is crazy that we'll meet this little guy in just 4.5 months. But first we need to get through my crazy summer work season and Bryan's hectic work schedule. It is great we are busy at work in this economy but we sure are tired! At least being exhausted means I am still sleeping through the night (minus the bathroom breaks!) At this point with Noelle I'd been doing late night snacks and computer time about 2 hours a night pretty consistently for weeks. I'd love to hold off on that as long as possible this time!
So we are excited that Alien looks good and want to thank him for allowing us to take a week off from driving to JHU. Maybe he'll be cooperative at delivery too? Oh, I should mention he weighs 12 oz (a little more than the 20 week average) and is measuring exactly on target for his due date. It was definitely nice not to leave the anatomy scan knowing we had an extra 2 weeks of pregnancy to endure like we did last time!
Alien appears healthy and is the in utero opposite of his sister. With Noelle we could never see her back and spine. Alien doesn't like us to see his front, hence the lack of pictures posted here. We got a quick profile shot at the very end of our ultrasound, but otherwise the little guy was swimming around on his tummy, giving us an awesome view of every vertebrate but keeping us from checking out whether mommy or daddy's nose is at play with this little one. We got to see the heart beating for about 30 minutes as they tried to get a specific 4 chamber shot, and that was cool. Alien's heartbeat was 146, so pretty consistent with what it has been the last few checks, and about 20 beats less per minute than Noelle's. So maybe there is some truth to the heart beat gender old wives tales!
We quickly glimpsed 2 cute feet, hands, fingers, and boy parts. Alien doesn't like to stay still for long so the ultrasound tech had to do some fast work with the equipment to get anything she needed! But so far things look good and it is crazy that we'll meet this little guy in just 4.5 months. But first we need to get through my crazy summer work season and Bryan's hectic work schedule. It is great we are busy at work in this economy but we sure are tired! At least being exhausted means I am still sleeping through the night (minus the bathroom breaks!) At this point with Noelle I'd been doing late night snacks and computer time about 2 hours a night pretty consistently for weeks. I'd love to hold off on that as long as possible this time!
So we are excited that Alien looks good and want to thank him for allowing us to take a week off from driving to JHU. Maybe he'll be cooperative at delivery too? Oh, I should mention he weighs 12 oz (a little more than the 20 week average) and is measuring exactly on target for his due date. It was definitely nice not to leave the anatomy scan knowing we had an extra 2 weeks of pregnancy to endure like we did last time!
Monday, May 23, 2011
My Extra Appendage
Noelle clearly senses something is going on. Either that or all 21 month olds clearly entrenched in their terrible twos do this, but I'm thinking it is number one. My very independent, dare-devil of a daughter has become my extra appendage. She must be touching me 100% of the time when we are together. And I don't mean holding hands or sitting right next to each other on the couch. I mean, mom I must sit on top of you, preferably on your lap, and then we have to hold both hands also. Or you could just carry me around the house and the neighborhood. What, my 27 pounds gets heavy after 5 seconds? I'm sorry, but really if you can't hold me I'll just have to scream!
Yup, it is pretty fun. Thankfully for others, when I'm not around she is totally fine. And actually if I'm home without Bryan she is only at stage 2 clinginess. Good thing she is super cute and hilarious. I did just make a deal with her for the evening. She can watch Dora if she agrees to sit on the other end of the couch. I only have had to remind her twice so far and we are almost done the episode. And only one reminder ended in tears! Yes, I am resorting to bribery, but it doesn't really count if she gets to watch Dora every evening anyways right?
OK spoke to soon, have been touched 4 more times in the past 2 minutes. But we made it to the end without lap sitting so I am going to call the plan a success!
Yup, it is pretty fun. Thankfully for others, when I'm not around she is totally fine. And actually if I'm home without Bryan she is only at stage 2 clinginess. Good thing she is super cute and hilarious. I did just make a deal with her for the evening. She can watch Dora if she agrees to sit on the other end of the couch. I only have had to remind her twice so far and we are almost done the episode. And only one reminder ended in tears! Yes, I am resorting to bribery, but it doesn't really count if she gets to watch Dora every evening anyways right?
OK spoke to soon, have been touched 4 more times in the past 2 minutes. But we made it to the end without lap sitting so I am going to call the plan a success!
Halfway!
Today I am 20 weeks - halfway to the big day! This pregnancy is flying by - it definitely goes much quicker the second time when you already have one you are running after all the time!
Alien is about 10 inches long already, about half his birth measurement, and is about 11 ounces. He definitely has some weight to gain over the coming weeks, although if he wants to cut it out at about 7 pounds that would be fine with his mommy!
We are making little progress on our name search - unless you count crossing off every name under the sun from our list! That isn't totally true I guess since we do have a middle name we like. Once we get a few more weeks along it will be time to get serious on the whole first name thing. Oh, and spoiler alert, Alien has a last name. We are thinking Saxton will be perfect!
We also made a little progress on the basement this weekend as we did some more painting and sanding. It has been harder to work on as I have gotten bigger and more tired, Noelle's naps have gotten shorter, and Bryan has had to do some work from home over the weekends but we'll get there by Alien's arrival. Hopefully next Saturday while my mom is in town we can totally finish the painting and maybe do some work on the ceiling tiles.
Here's to another healthy and relatively easy 20 or so weeks!
Alien is about 10 inches long already, about half his birth measurement, and is about 11 ounces. He definitely has some weight to gain over the coming weeks, although if he wants to cut it out at about 7 pounds that would be fine with his mommy!
We are making little progress on our name search - unless you count crossing off every name under the sun from our list! That isn't totally true I guess since we do have a middle name we like. Once we get a few more weeks along it will be time to get serious on the whole first name thing. Oh, and spoiler alert, Alien has a last name. We are thinking Saxton will be perfect!
We also made a little progress on the basement this weekend as we did some more painting and sanding. It has been harder to work on as I have gotten bigger and more tired, Noelle's naps have gotten shorter, and Bryan has had to do some work from home over the weekends but we'll get there by Alien's arrival. Hopefully next Saturday while my mom is in town we can totally finish the painting and maybe do some work on the ceiling tiles.
Here's to another healthy and relatively easy 20 or so weeks!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Reading with Daddy
Noelle gets two books before bed as part of her routine. She and daddy decided to get comfy to read the rainbow book the other night.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Bump
Here is a picture of my Alien bump from last week.
18 weeks. I look 7 months pregnant - UGH!
18 weeks. I look 7 months pregnant - UGH!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Ready for Potty Training?
We figured since Noelle has decided that Elmo now needs diapers, she must be ready to get out of them, right? She at least needs to work on her diapering skills before Baby Alien comes to live with us!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ready for the Olympics!
Last Friday I took Noelle to a gymnastics class with my mom's group. She absolutely loved it! Jumping on the big trampoline, walking the balance beam, sliding in to the pit, and following the little obstacle course were all big hits! And surprisingly, she listened to directions and waited her turn quite well. Over the summer I am going to try to take her to a few more classes and open gym type events to help her get some energy out. Mommy definitely enjoyed her 2.5 hour nap after the class and our playtime at the mall!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
It's a...
BOY! We will work on scanning a few proof positive pictures this weekend. We are very excited to have one of each, especially if we decide that two little ones is the magic number for our family. And since 3 of the 4 grandparents don't yet have a grandson we are definitely thrilled to add to our family that way as well! We know Noelle will take extra special care of her little brother when he comes. If only I could get her not to bounce around on him while he is inside me!
Now we just have to come up with a name! No biggie. At least we have 20+ weeks to think of something we both like. And please don't ask what we decide on. We will not tell you. And we'll just think you are mean if you are pushy about it! For us, part of the fun is revealing our little one's name the day he or she comes in to the world since you already know the gender. And Noelle won't know the name either - all 2 year olds are terrible secret keepers!
Now we just have to come up with a name! No biggie. At least we have 20+ weeks to think of something we both like. And please don't ask what we decide on. We will not tell you. And we'll just think you are mean if you are pushy about it! For us, part of the fun is revealing our little one's name the day he or she comes in to the world since you already know the gender. And Noelle won't know the name either - all 2 year olds are terrible secret keepers!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there with a special Mother's Day wish to our moms, Carol and Sue, our sister-in-law, Tracie, and our newest mommy friend, Kristin!
I've had a great day. It started with a wonderful breakfast with two of my Miami friends to celebrate Nicole and Sean's impending arrival, Peach, at Eggspectations, one of my favorite Maryland establishments! After a great meal we headed to a spa for my first ever massage. It was amazing, especially since I hurt my lower back yesterday at work (yes I had my first Saturday work day of the summer) moving some tables around and carrying some boxes I probably shouldn't have.
After my massage, I spent some quality time with B and Noelle for lunch before Bryan and I headed off to my first post-Noelle Orioles game. We had Bryan's firm's seats so were just 3 rows back from the field. The Orioles didn't win but it was a gorgeous day out and it was great to spend some time outside.
After picking up Noelle from our friends, Bryan and Noelle treated me to the cheap meal I have been craving for months - Mickey D's. We don't have fast food really ever, but Alien has been wanting some nuggets and fries and B was happy to oblige my Mother's Day craving.
I also got a great card from Noelle (Mickey Mouse and his friends sing to me) and a beautiful flowered plant we can put in the garden next week. So all in all it was a great Mother's Day! We hope you all enjoyed a beautiful day with your loved ones!
I've had a great day. It started with a wonderful breakfast with two of my Miami friends to celebrate Nicole and Sean's impending arrival, Peach, at Eggspectations, one of my favorite Maryland establishments! After a great meal we headed to a spa for my first ever massage. It was amazing, especially since I hurt my lower back yesterday at work (yes I had my first Saturday work day of the summer) moving some tables around and carrying some boxes I probably shouldn't have.
After my massage, I spent some quality time with B and Noelle for lunch before Bryan and I headed off to my first post-Noelle Orioles game. We had Bryan's firm's seats so were just 3 rows back from the field. The Orioles didn't win but it was a gorgeous day out and it was great to spend some time outside.
After picking up Noelle from our friends, Bryan and Noelle treated me to the cheap meal I have been craving for months - Mickey D's. We don't have fast food really ever, but Alien has been wanting some nuggets and fries and B was happy to oblige my Mother's Day craving.
I also got a great card from Noelle (Mickey Mouse and his friends sing to me) and a beautiful flowered plant we can put in the garden next week. So all in all it was a great Mother's Day! We hope you all enjoyed a beautiful day with your loved ones!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Last Day to Vote
Get your votes in for the gender poll! The poll closes at midnight at the end of Mother's Day as we go in for our ultrasound on Wednesday!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tunnels and Slides
Noelle and I spent several hours at various parks over the last week. Here are some pictures of her enjoying herself!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
17 Weeks
I guess I need to start the belly pictures now that I am definitely showing. At 17 weeks with Alien I probably am at about where I was at 23 weeks from my first pregnancy in terms of bump size. In some ways it is nice - I sort of sped through the is she just fat or pregnant phase of this pregnancy, but since I had almost none of my own maternity clothes from Noelle, I had to make some early purchases this time around. I got a lucky break a few weeks ago when my friend who had twins at Christmas gave me a great set of hand me downs. Hopefully since she had twins they will last me through the end of this pregnancy since I am predicting I will be huge!
I had a midwife appointment today and Alien looks great. I am measuring well and have gained a reasonable amount of weight thus far. Alien's heartbeat was just a bit slower this time then it has been, 147. Boy after all? And I got the go ahead to schedule our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. So we should have our 18 week fetal study ultrasound next week followed shortly after by our regular diagnostic ultrasound around 20 weeks.
Jean did already mention that I may want to cut out bread towards the end of my pregnancy. We are aiming for a slightly smaller Saxton baby this time around!
Besides a few cramps and pains occasionally and my normal need for a foot pillow at night on days I've spent too much time running around I've been feeling great. I've been sleeping all night with the exception of my bathroom breaks, all the nausea has stopped, and I actually haven't been feeling faint or having the charlie horses recently. Here's to hoping things stay this way as work is getting crazy busy and I have to work several of the upcoming weekends in preparation for summer!
I had a midwife appointment today and Alien looks great. I am measuring well and have gained a reasonable amount of weight thus far. Alien's heartbeat was just a bit slower this time then it has been, 147. Boy after all? And I got the go ahead to schedule our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. So we should have our 18 week fetal study ultrasound next week followed shortly after by our regular diagnostic ultrasound around 20 weeks.
Jean did already mention that I may want to cut out bread towards the end of my pregnancy. We are aiming for a slightly smaller Saxton baby this time around!
Besides a few cramps and pains occasionally and my normal need for a foot pillow at night on days I've spent too much time running around I've been feeling great. I've been sleeping all night with the exception of my bathroom breaks, all the nausea has stopped, and I actually haven't been feeling faint or having the charlie horses recently. Here's to hoping things stay this way as work is getting crazy busy and I have to work several of the upcoming weekends in preparation for summer!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Happy 30th Birthday BSax!
I robbed the cradle when I married Bryan. Yesterday he finally entered his 30's and it was an absolutely beautiful day in which to celebrate! I had a yard sale through my mom's group in the morning, so while I negotiated with crazy deal seekers, B and Noelle had a lovely morning daddy-daughter date. They hit their favorite store, Home Depot, went to the mall to get his new iPhone, rode the carousel, and had brunch at Chick-fil-A. They both were in a great mood when I got home and we all had lunch before Noelle took her nap and Bryan played around with his new toy!
To celebrate in the evening we had a few friends over from different walks of life for a little BBQ. It is always great when the food is good, people are laughing, and despite most attendees not really knowing most people, everyone gets along. We really appreciated everyone coming out for a few hours. A special thanks to our friends Mario and Kristin for coming out 2 days before Mini Mo's due date. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take pictures at the festivities!
It is hard to believe that when we got married we were only 23 and 24 - it has been a great 6.5 years so far growing older together!
To celebrate in the evening we had a few friends over from different walks of life for a little BBQ. It is always great when the food is good, people are laughing, and despite most attendees not really knowing most people, everyone gets along. We really appreciated everyone coming out for a few hours. A special thanks to our friends Mario and Kristin for coming out 2 days before Mini Mo's due date. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take pictures at the festivities!
It is hard to believe that when we got married we were only 23 and 24 - it has been a great 6.5 years so far growing older together!
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