Nursery Kids

It's official! We have big kids. Max and Kate went to nursery for the first time last Sunday. They did wonderful!

The key was making them take a nap in the morning so we could all survive 3 hours of 11am-2pm church. Getting through sacrament is always a bear and we pull out all the stops; snacks, sippys, quiet book, board books, usually someone escapes our chair barricade and a walk through the halls is required.

Finally, the meeting ended and we ventured down the hall to the sacred room of toys and snacks. Free babysitting! We stayed a few minutes to get the kids comfortable and then Phil slipped out. I had Kate plastered to my side since she never does well in new situations. Finally she got brave and I was able to leave as the nursery leader blocked her view and created a distraction. We peeked in on them after Sunday School and they were having a snack, sitting in little chairs like big kids. We were the proud dopey parents beaming through the 6-inch window.

I felt almost naked without two babies to worry about during the remaining two hours of church. In Relief Society I actually got sleepy. I got to sit through a wonderful lesson and am starting to refill my spiritual cup at church. Though I was a freak and kept looking at the door anytime someone would open it or walk by, just waiting for a poopy diaper or desperate child.

After the block, Phil was already in the nursery when I got there and the kids did great. The leaders had nothing but good things to say and I am so happy all went well.

We tried to take family pictures before the meeting and of course we only got a good one of Phil, even then I had to swap a head in photoshop, mine were indecent with too much chest and leg being bared thanks to wiggly non-compliant children. Next week I am getting one with my babes!

12 Weeks

Isn't it amazing how much development occurs in such a short time? I have a full fledged human in here! Albeit a 2 1/4-inch one. Who doesn't love to see the finer details and progress? Lucky for me I get a lot of ultrasounds during my pregnancies.

I went in for a doctor's appointment with a perinatologist last week. Due to our history with Camden it is the standard of care to see a specialist for further testing. It can be a bit overboard I think but I am grateful for the attentive care I receive. I had some blood work done, a nuchal translucency ultrasound and a meeting with a geneticist and the doctor. Again, just a bit much and it wasn't anything we haven't heard before. All in all the baby looks healthy thus far for which we are very grateful. 

I am feeling well and have started "running" again. I use the term loosely since one could easily walk briskly next to me as I run. When I first tried running it was a joke. I could barely run to the next block without stopping. It felt like all of my blood was sitting straight in my abdomen, just a heavy feeling. My lungs and legs felt good. It would make sense as a lot of blood is in my abdomen due to the baby. 

I went "running" again with my friend J'lene this morning. I know I slowed her down and it was a joke of a work out but at least we were moving. I felt much better today, only my bladder was the annoying nuisance. I run the Warrior Dash on April 30th so I need to get back up to speed and be able to complete 3.5 miles, plus 12 crazy obstacles. My goal is to finish, nothing more, nothing less. 

18 Months

4 weeks old

12 months old

I think it is a crime that babies grow so fast. Especially mine. Just yesterday I had two little burritos and now I have walking, talking, running, mischief making 18 month olds. Toddlers. Big Kids. Though I still call them my babies. 

Kate:

Still sucks her thumb. Check out that high arched mouth, we are going to work on that when she gets a bit older, either way the girl is getting braces, that is a given. 

Weight: 19 pounds 8 ounces- 1.5th% on the growth chart! Hooray! We are actually on the chart!

Height: 29.75"-7.5th%

Wears size 9-12 months, size 3.5 shoe, size 4 diaper since Max is there already.

7 teeth, no molars peeking though yet.

Favorite foods: noodles, cereal bars, cereal, eggs, yogurt, crackers, bananas, berries, pretty much all fruit, we are sketchy on the veggies and I try and get them in where we can.

Kate is still a snuggler. She loves to read books, screams in excitement when she hears the bath water running . She also has begun to scream when she is frustrated, when Max takes her blanket, toys, whatever. We are working on that and time outs get involved when she is especially sassy. Her legs are always covered in bruises from her tumbles outside. Has recently gotten very attached to her pink and white minky/satin blanket. Can always be found asleep in bed with said blanket around her head, she wakes up with sweaty bed head naturally. 

She says: teeth, shoes, show, I see, eyes, said "yellow" a few times-crazy!, yes, no, buzzes like a bee, the hard "c" sound, and a few more that I can't think of.

Knows her body parts and whenever we ask where her eyes are she points to her nose but will point correctly on our faces. She loves her daddy and loves to "help" him study when he is on his laptop, will reorganize all the markers to his white board (check out Phil's fb video), is such a hot and cold child. One moment she is happy and then the next she is a grump and no one knows what she needs, including her. She is still our peanut and we love her to pieces.

Max:

Weight: 22 pounds 5 ounces, 8th%

Height: 30.5"- 7th%

Wears size 6-12 months shorts, 12 month pants rolled down at the waist so they don't fall off, 12-18 month shirts. Size 4 diapers and size 4.5-5 shoes.

9 teeth: 4 on top, 3 on bottom and I just found 2 upper molars cutting through. Our kids are great teethers, they never complain and we usually find new teeth after they have cut through.

Favorite foods: cereal bars! If the pantry is open he knows just where to go and will bring us a bar to unwrap. I have found some good organic ones that are free of the laundry list of preservatives and HFCS in regular bars, they are sweetened with fruit juice so he can have them all he wants. Bananas, all fruit-especially fresh, not such a fan of canned peaches and pears, pasta, crackers, beans, avocados, sometimes veggies if he can dip them in ranch.

Max is boy through and through. He loves to play outside, with rocks, balls, dirt and always manages to find random semi-buried hazards in our backyard from previous renters; nasty beer bottle cap anyone? Luckily he usually comes to show me what he found and hands it over. He loves to eat!

He can say: Hi dad!, show, nana (banana), NO! I am drawing a blank at more words, he is better at comprehension it seems. He understands when I tell him to find his blankie, shoes, etc. He knows when I tell him to give something to Kate.

He always shares a cracker with Kate, even if she has two in her hands already he still tries to give her one. He is so busy, never stopping. He races from one activity to the next. He would rather dump out the legos than sit and build with them but will for a few minutes before he is off to the next adventure. Usually pulling out my pots and pans or opening pads and tampons if I am not careful with the bathroom door being closed.

He loves, LOVES his minky/silk blanket. When you get him out of his crib it always comes with. We call him Linus. He knows his body parts and loves to find everyone's belly buttons. He will bop up and down to music.

We have moved beyond Baby Einstein and are segueing into Thomas the Train and Barney. Whatever has music they love, but they will only watch for less than 10 minutes, either way the idea of a "show" is thrilling and they will both run to the TV at the suggestion of one and turn it on.

They are down to one mid-morning nap and I will have to force a morning nap on Sundays if we ever hope to take them to nursery or make it beyond sacrament with 11am church.

The kids are wonderful, we love them to pieces and are exhausted at the end of the day.

Spring Break 2011

Phil had the last week off from school and boy did we ever need it! We had planned on spending the first half of the week in Pinetop with his parents. We loaded the truck after church on Sunday; church ended at 2 and we didn't get started until after 5pm, of course going anywhere with kids adds on like three hours to my time frame. Kids loaded, gear loaded and... truck won't start. Great. We jump it and get on the road. Our four-wheel-drive warning light goes off and we will need it to conquer the snow on the way there. We pull over to test things out, the truck is not in 4WD and yet the warning light is still on. I read the manual and it says to go to the dealer asap. Awesome. Long story short it goes off thankfully and Phil ascertains that the 4WD works and all is well. Drive over an hour through town and get on the Beeline Highway to head north. 10 minutes later traffic is detoured since the highway is closed and will be for an unknown amount of time, but we are told we are welcome to wait. Ha! Max and Kate are already protesting. 

After much effort we call it quits, turn around and head home. 

Tuesday we went to the library for story time and it was fun to have Phil there with us so he could see see what fun things we do each week and it was wonderful to have another lap and arms to help out during the songs. The kids love story time and I was just happy to be together. 

Wednesday we met some friends at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. This place is amazing and it was great inspiration for fun and educational things to do with Max and Kate at home. 

The noodle forest! After some trepidation the kids got brave and would run through on their own but usually with a trusted guide. 

Race car drivers! They did not want to share.

My little shoppers and painters. The kids already love to dig around in our recycling bin with empty boxes and milk jugs so this was right up their alley. I want to do the water painting on rocks/concrete during the summer.

Thursday through Saturday I drove into downtown Phoenix each morning for the dental convention, sitting in lectures to gather continuing education credits for my hygiene license. Phil played Mr. Mom and I must say he is very good at it! One day I came home and the kids were napping and he had done all the laundry, the floors and the house was spotless! He even made spaghetti sauce one day. 

Saturday we met Jared and Andrea and their cute boys at the Scottsdale Train Park for a picnic dinner and play time. Caleb was the sweetest and helped watch over Max and Kate. 

Max clearly thinks Caleb is hilarious. I like to think that Camden would have been the same way with the kids. Caleb and Camden would have been only 3 months apart and I am sure the best of buds.

Kate found a candy wrapper and proceeded to eat it. I'm a good mom and let her. 

We rode the little train and Max loved it. Kate was more timid and stood between my legs the entire time looking like this. Neither of them cared for the carousel, it was a bit scary and was really fast.

Proof I was here!

After the train we went to the park area and let the kids loose. Kate loved the sand and proceeded to put it in every crevice. 

Max lives for the slides. He climbs up all by himself and with this one he was able to do everything on his own. He went countless times. 

We also enjoyed plenty of lounging and daddy time. I love this picture. 

One week wasn't long enough. The countdown is on until summer break; three whole months of Phil being home!

Baby Follow-up: The Back Story

Yes, we were trying. Yes, it was a surprise.

I am a little obsessive. I like to make lists, I have plans and goals and a road map of how to get things done to get to aforementioned goals. So I approached the possibility of another baby like I do most things. I prepare, plan, go and do. My game plan was to get pregnant this year, not necessarily have a baby this year! Blessings, blessings.

I have been temping in a few dental offices to earn money for my baby fund; the money I would need to see Dr. Craig, my fertility doctor. I would need to save lots of money, lots and lots since we would be approaching another IVF cycle without the help of insurance benefits. I would do IVF since we have embryos still in storage, so it would've been a frozen transfer but still a pricey one. And there is always the chance of it not taking and we don't have the means to go hard core month after month of treatment.

I also started charting my cycle again a few months ago. I wanted to see where my body was, if it was showing similar signs to my previous issues and it also gave me something to do, made me feel proactive. So I took my temperature every morning, logged in all the details of each day that only a woman who has dealt with infertility and the desperate desire to get pregnant can appreciate. And when each month passed without a pregnancy I was okay. I had not reached the crazy obsessed stage. Then it happened. Quickly. Much sooner than we anticipated.

I recognize that I have three beautiful children already and I am so grateful for them. This baby is such a gift and I am so happy and humbled that we were able to conceive naturally. Phil says he never doubted that I could do it and I say that I am shocked that it happened since we tried for over two years prior to Max and Kate. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility as we both checked out healthy and had conceived before. We are now fulfilling that annoying stereotype where a baby comes naturally after fertility treatment. I always hated when people told me to "just relax". Whatever the reason I am so happy. So blessed.

I am feeling great; my typical pregnancy with no nausea just a silly bladder. Weeks 5-7 I did feel crappy, nauseous and unsettled with zero energy. This put a damper on the wellness challenge I was doing and I have since fallen off the wagon. I need to get back to exercise again since my body is remembering how to be pregnant a bit too quickly for my liking, my abs are retreating and it is harder to keep it all in. I fear it is going to be harder to bounce back but that means I am going to need to work harder and be kind to myself. Patience.

It is surreal to be pregnant and with the busyness of Max and Kate I don't dwell on it 24/7. I do think a lot about how challenging it is going to be, how am I going to manage three babies? Max and Kate are still babies to me. They still need so much of me and part of me feels guilty for taking me away from them so soon. But I know it will be fine, I will survive and we will hopefully thrive. This is going to be one crazy ride!