14 Weeks and A New Haircut

I finally took some pictures of my baby belly this week! I'm only 14 weeks along, so sometimes I feel giant, and sometimes I barely notice it. (Ok...I mostly notice it haha.) The weird thing is I still haven't gained weight, so I've either lost it somewhere else, or I'm losing muscle mass or something. I'm still running and doing a lot of activity, so who knows! I did get 7 inches taken off of my hair this week...so maybe that was it! Also, do you love how Avery is in the background?? Recently, it seems like whenever I'm trying to take pictures of anything other than Avery, she somehow runs into the view. Ranger loves doing this too. I was trying to take pictures of our yard and flowers this morning, and Avery and Ranger were in all of them (not on purpose!!) Here's a few more:

This week has been pretty great. Summer is finally here. On Tuesday, Avery and I went to our local park, which has a lake with a beach, and a kids playground as well. The water actually was relatively warm. It was so nice to wade into the water, and it's also great that I don't have to worry about Avery falling too much this year. Last year, she was still a beginner walker, and not too steady in the sand, but now she's great, and she listens well when I tell her to stay near me, and not to go too far. They also have a swimming lane roped off in the lake, designed specifically for open water swimming. It is guarded by a lifeguard, so it's safe to swim alone (without Travis I mean.)  I am looking forward to swimming while pregnant since it's very low impact. It will be a great way to spend the summer.

I've been running and walking a lot this week, and yesterday, we bought flowers for our yard. We also went on the boat for a few hours. We're spending lots of time outdoors after the long winter we had, and we're enjoying every second!

It's Finally Becoming Real

The following post was written last week...on May 20th, and I am all caught up now!

Today I had my third doctor appointment...I am 12 weeks and 3 days. Travis and Avery came with me, and we heard the heartbeat this time! Our nurse found it very quickly, which was comforting, and it was in the high 150's. We listened to it for a minute or so, and I was very happy to hear that it sounded good.  Even though I've had many pregnancy symptoms already, it makes it more real when you hear the heartbeat, and you realize what a miracle it is!

At this point, I'm doing well. I haven't gained any weight yet - I think I'm actually still down a few pounds. I am definitely eating more than I was a few weeks ago, but I kind of feel like I am "grazing" all day. I have to eat small meals frequently because I get really full and uncomfortable after just a few bites, but then I'm starving an hour later haha. It's a little frustrating, but I know it's only temporary. Even though I haven't gained weight, my stomach is starting to grow and widen. I am still wearing my regular pants, but I have just started keeping a rubber band with me. It's not because I can't button them...more because I want to avoid having a "muffin top" look haha. Sometimes it's more flattering to give myself a little extra space.

They also checked my blood pressure today, and luckily it was in the normal range today. It was pretty low at my first two appointments, so I was happy to see that it was higher today. I noticed that I haven't been feeling as lightheaded as I was in the beginning, and I think it was related...maybe...I'm not a doctor though.

We also scheduled my first trimester screen/ultrasound for Thursday afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing my little baby for the first time!

My Birthday Weekend

After the winter we've had, we deserved a beautiful Memorial Day weekend to kick off the summer (and celebrate my birthday) and Mother Nature didn't let me down! The weather was absolutely beautiful all weekend.

On Friday night Travis's mom and grandparents came over for dinner and a cookout. We grilled burgers and walleye, and finished the evening with a fire and s'mores. It kicked off the weekend perfectly.

On Saturday, we headed to my parents' home in Edinboro to spend some time with them, and enjoy the lake. We were invited to a bonfire Saturday night, and we were able to go for about 2 hours (until Avery had to go to bed.) There were some little boys there that were close to Avery's age, and she loved running around with them, and she also tried out their scooter, and she figured it out pretty quickly. It was great seeing her run around, and AWAY from Travis and I (which is unusual for her, haha.)

Sunday was my actual birthday - I am officially 32 years old. We walked to get bagels for breakfast, and then we took Kelsey, Kai, and his brother Erik and his girlfriend Angela (who were visiting from Germany) on our boat. Kai and Kelsey love wake boarding, and so do we! Well, I enjoy it when I'm not pregnant. Unfortunately, it's not recommended to water ski, wake board, or go tubing while pregnant due to the falling/impact risk. It was still fun to watch everybody else though. The water was cold - only about 65-66 degrees, but they all said it was worth it once they were wake boarding, and the sun was out, so you could warm up quickly after getting out of the water. Avery also loved watching, and especially enjoyed watching her dad water ski.

While Avery napped, I got chance to lay out on the boat for a little while. I bought a new bathing suit which will hopefully look ok with my growing tummy. It's a blue tankini from Target, and I think it looks good for now. It's not maternity, but it has some room in it.

For dinner we went and got pizza, and I was able to use a $10 off coupon for my birthday month! We ordered two pizzas and wings, and finished them in about 10 minutes. We ended up getting a third pizza and it was delicious.

On Monday, we started the day with pancakes on the patio with a beatiful view of the lake. Avery and I spent some time with my mom on a walk, and reading some childrens's books. We enjoyed a tasty dinner of beef BBQ, Italian sausage, macaroni salad, baked beans, and chocolate cake.

It was a very relaxing weekend and Avery enjoyed being at Edinboro more than I can remember, and it was great to be outdoors so much! I'm looking forward to the time we spend there this summer!

2nd appointment - 9 weeks

I'm still playing catchup on my first trimester. My second doctor appointment was on April 28th. I was 9 weeks and 2 days, and was finally starting to feel better after a few tough weeks. 


I thought my 2nd appointment would be quick, but my doctor was at the hospital delivering a baby. They still took me back to get my weight, urine sample, and blood pressure. I actually dropped 5 pounds, and my blood pressure was low. Since my doctor wasn't there, I had to go home, and come back an hour later. I didn't mind too much since I only live 5 minutes away (and since I don't work!)

When I returned with Avery, it was a little difficult. Travis couldn't wait, because he needed to work, so I was on my own with her. When my doctor came in, she asked me if I've been eating enough, and I told her I was trying, but it had been tough the last few weeks to eat anything but cereal. I am starting to feel better now, so I'm hoping to get a little more variety in my diet. The good thing is that I'm not as worried about gaining weight too quickly anymore haha.

As far as my blood pressure, she said it was low last time, and she wasn't too worried, but just to make sure I'm eating and drinking enough, and to sit down if I feel lightheaded (which I have a lot.) It's hard to tell if I've been more lightheaded than last time, or if I just sat more because I was working at a computer, and this time I'm up and down all day with Avery. Who knows?

Anyway, she wanted to listen for the heartbeat, so the nurse gave it a try. However, Avery was NOT very happy about this. She was yelling and crying very loudly, and I think the nurse was a little flustered. Being only 9 weeks, it's hard to get the heartbeat anyway, and this was not helping. After trying for a few minutes, she said that she picked it up for a few seconds, but not long enough for me to really hear (especially over Avery.) My doctor scheduled my next appointment a little sooner than normal...in three weeks...because she's on vacation the following week. I'm sure we'll be able to hear the heartbeat by then!

As far as how it's been going so far...rough!! I have been really tired and very nauseous. I don't want most foods, and even when I do - it seems to be a one time thing. For example, I thought I wanted a cheeseburger from Applebee's, so we went there and I at some of it, but then I definitely didn't want any burgers from there for awhile! I was nervous about how I'd do at Travis's marathon yesterday, but I brought snacks with me, and luckily it was the best I've felt in a few weeks. It's been tough keeping up with a toddler, but actually Avery has been great so far, and isn't giving me too much trouble. I'm thankful that she's having a good phase, while I'm struggling. It would be really tough if she were more difficult. We've been doing a lot of sitting activities. - reading a lot of books, playing with puzzles, and playing new games on the iPad. I've also been taking her outside in the back yard - weather permitting - because she will play on her own while I sit on the patio.  I'm trying hard to do the best I can, but I also think it's ok for her to play on her own a little bit.

Soon, she 'll have a sibling to play with!!

5 Weeks 3 Days - First doctor appointment

I wrote the following post on March 31st - because I wanted my first appointment documented. I had my first appointment much earlier than in my last pregnancy. 



Today I had my first OB appointment to confirm my pregnancy, and have some blood work done. For some reason, I was nervous that they were going to tell me I wasn't pregnant...maybe because I only took one pregnancy test this time instead of 4? But alas, I am pregnant, and they confirmed my Estimated Due Date as November 29th, 2014. I have a feeling it may be a December baby, but who knows! During my last pregnancy my due date changed a few times, but my cycle was longer and more irregular, so I don't anticipate that again.

Travis and Avery joined me for the first appointment, and it went pretty well. I am experiencing some first semester symptoms...such as some pains in my lower abdomen, and lightheadedness. I asked if that might be iron related, but my doctor said it's pretty common and could be due to hormones or blood flow, etc. She did say it probably wouldn't hurt to take an additional iron supplement, but that may not be the only culprit.

They also weighed me, and I'm at a heavier weight than I started at last time. It's a little frustrating to me because I was at my pre-pregnancy weight at my regular appointment this past fall, but I think some of it can be attributed to eating breakfast this morning and drinking a full cup of coffee and water, and they weighed me before the urine sample was given, so yeah...I'm going with water weight haha. Either way, I'm not that worried about it because I'm still at a healthy weight, so I'll just aim for gaining closer to 25 pounds (sounds easy now, as I'm only 5 weeks in - I'm sure I'll be laughing at this statement in about 6 months.)

My doctor gave me a lot of information to read, and even though I've done this before, I'm excited to go through it! I like reading about pregnancy and what changes and symptoms are likely to appear. I also received some pregnancy and fitness magazines, which I also enjoy. Overall I'm feeling great so far, and looking forward to going for a run today since it's almost 60 degrees today! Hooray!

Transitioning to the toddler bed

As I mentioned a few days ago, Avery jumped out of her crib this weekend.  I knew this time was coming soon, but I was hoping that her fall scared her enough that I could hold off transitioning her until later this summer. Well, no such luck. Yesterday during her naptime, she jumped out again. I decided it was time to turn her crib into a toddler bed.

Since we are having another baby in November, we are planning on using her crib, and putting her in my daybed. However, it's still a little high for her, and I really want to paint it white to give it a more updated look, along with the matching dresser. When we originally bought the crib, we knew that it converted to a toddler bed and full size bed, but we didn't buy the conversion kits at the time. We figured we'd cross that bridge when we came to it.

I called the furniture store to find out how long it would take to get the conversion kit (better late than never) and they said it would take 4 weeks or so. Um no. That wasn't going to happen. I went Target and bought a bed rail, and figured we could make it work. I let Travis know that we were going to be working on this last night, and I don't think he was thrilled about it. However, I was excited, and I had a feeling Avery was ready.

We worked in her room last night, and took the front rail off of her crib, and replaced it with the bed rail. We also had to raise up the feet in the front with wood blocks, because when the front came off, it was tipping forward. Luckily, I was able to camouflage it with the (wrinkled) bed skirt. After we had it set up, Avery spent about 45 minutes going in and out of her bed, and when she'd get into it, she'd lay down and say "night night." It was so cute, and made me more confident that this was going to work.

I did some reading about making the transition easier, and I read that it helps to have a doll bed in the room, and to have Avery put her doll to bed before she goes to bed. Luckily, I have a large American Doll collection for Molly, so I was excited to get Molly's bed out, and use it for Avery's doll (not American doll yet...I'll wait a little longer for that.) 

Avery was amazing! When I got the bed out, I told her "it's time for night night for Clochette, we have to tuck her in!"  I let Avery put Clochette in and out of her doll bed over and over again, and even got her a special blanket (one of Avery's old swaddles.) Avery definitely understood, and this gave me even more confidence! 

When it was finally actually time for bed around 7:45, we gave her a bath, and did her normal bedtime routine. Travis read her a story, and the tucked Clochette into her bed. She seemed happy to go to bed in her new big girl bed. After he came downstairs shortly after 8, I turned the monitor on so that I could listen. Avery did make a little noise, but that's normal for her. By 8:30, I didn't hear a peep. I wanted to check on her, but I waited until 9 so that I was pretty sure she was asleep. Sure enough, she was in her bed sound asleep and I don't think she even attempted to get out.

I just put her down for her first nap and she's talking and making noise, but I am confident she'll sleep soon. She normally takes a little more time playing before she takes a nap.

I think we had a few things going for us that have made this so successful (so far at least...) 

1. Avery has always been a great sleeper for the majority of her life. She actually likes going to bed, and when she's really tired, she will actually lead us to the stairs for 'night night.' She very rarely wakes in the middle of the night, and even if she does, she goes back to sleep on her own. Literally, the last time I was in her room in the middle of the night was in December when she threw up in her crib. So, I think this obviously makes the transition easier.
2. Since I knew this was coming soon, I have made a real effort to show her different beds, and pictures of beds in books, and ask her what they are, and what they are for (night night.) I always have her point to beds, and then when we are in her room, she'll point to her bed. I think the doll bed was somewhat helpful, but more just adorable.
3. I think that the fact that she spends time in her room a few times a week for independent play has also played a factor. She's not afraid of her room, and it was already child-proofed. There have been times during her playtime that she's actually tried to take a nap either on the floor or in her princess tent. She loves spending time in her room, but I'm thinking that the novelty of "independence" that some kids experience during this transition wasn't a factor for her, since she is allowed to play there during the day. 

Overall, I'm very excited that this transition has been so easy, and I love watching my little girl grow up!

Found out I'm pregnant again!

Even though I won't post this for several weeks, I want to remember how I feel right now. Excited, scared, happy, nervous, emotional and everything in between. I found out I was pregnant yesterday morning (March 22nd) and honestly, it's a much different feeling than the first time around.

After Avery was born, it was a huge change in the lifestyle that Travis and I were used to, and for the first 18 months of her life, we were pretty sure she'd be an only child. We obviously love Avery, but we were in no way prepared for the lack of sleep in the beginning, the struggles we had with her allergies and my breastfeeding, and how having a baby changed our family dynamic. I know we're not the only ones that struggled in the beginning, but sometimes it felt that way! Everyone was so happy for us and was like "aren't kids great," and we were like "sure" (but really thinking they were so much work and responsibility!!) Of course, I did cherish the special moments, but sometimes they felt few and far between...

Around Avery's first birthday I finally figured out how to be a stay-at-home mom - one that could handle taking care of Avery, doing housework, and cooking meals. I know it's cliché, but honestly staying home has been much more challenging for me than working ever was. It took me almost a year to start enjoying and stop stressing. With that being said, it's also been very rewarding, and I can see the difference it's made for Avery and I love spending my days with her.

Anyway, I decided I might want one more child around the time Avery was 18 months. We went on a great trip to Hilton Head, and I loved watching her experience the ocean, the beach, and the pool. She started becoming more independent and I realized she won't be my baby forever. When Travis and I talked about having another one for the first time, I threw him off because he was under the impression that we were "one and done." I didn't pressure him though (at least too much) because I never wanted to make this decision without the support of my husband.

In January, he brought it up to me again, and said he was ready to think about having another child. We know the sacrifice that the first year will be (just because neither of us are "baby" people) but we can see the person that Avery is becoming, and how much fun she is, and we both had always wanted two kids (before we had any.)

I started taking prenatal vitamins and stopped birth control at the end of January and now I'm pregnant! It happened much quicker than the first time around, so I think that's also why I'm still in a state of shock. However, I'm also very happy that we will be a family of four (plus Ranger.)

Since finding out yesterday, I am totally feeling pregnant. I know it has to be all mental, because last time around I didn't even know at this point, but I think I know how I'm going to feel and honestly, I feel bloated and many of the early pregnancy symptoms. I went for a 3 mile run yesterday, and today, and both of them were tiring. I clearly ran a 15k only a week ago, so obviously I'm just crazy at this point, but who knows!

Anyway, I'm very excited, and I plan on giving weekly updates, so get ready!!

Moving to a toddler bed soon

Well, it finally happened. Avery jumped out of her crib today. We'll be converting it to a toddler bed very soon.

This afternoon we put Avery down for her nap as usual. Travis and I were doing some yard work, so I took the monitor out so I could hear her. It's normal for her to talk and play for a long while in her crib (hour or so) before she actually takes a nap. About an hour later, I heard a loud boom, and then I heard Avery yelling hysterically. I had a feeling what had happened, so I ran upstairs to check on her. Sure enough, she was out of her crib and crying heavily. She was actually standing at her crib, trying to figure out what just happened I think. As soon as she saw me she ran over to me and it was almost like she thought she was in trouble! I soothed her and rocked her, and could tell she was exhausted and I knew she hadn't slept yet. She actually pointed at her bed and wanted to go back in. I laid her back down, and went back outside. We didn't hear another peep from her! I think it really scared her, and she was so tired that she fell asleep very quickly.

While I don't think she'll climb out again soon, I talked to Travis and I think we are going to take the front of the crib off, and put a guard rail up. It will be a temporary solution until we transition her to a twin bed later this summer. It will be a big step, but I think she's ready for it. I'll update on the progress!

Feeding the fishies!

Avery has a new favorite activity - feeding the fish in the pond in our neighborhood. Travis and I took her and Ranger for a walk yesterday, and brought bread crust to feed the fish and baby geese.

She loved feeding the fish (she calls them "fow"...no idea why haha) and she also enjoyed when the geese and little goslings came over and we fed them too. They were very cute. We had Ranger with us, so the geese stayed far enough away and were on alert, but they definitely wanted some bread.

This morning it was beautiful again, after some intense storms last night. I decided to go for a run, and bring bread along so that Avery could feed the fish again. I took Ranger for a little while, but dropped him off before we went to the lake. I thought it would be easier for me to help Avery since Travis wasn't there to help. We started feeding the fish, and Avery was loving it! Then the geese came over again. However, I didn't realize how close they would come!! Too close for us haha. Avery sometimes throws pieces right in front of her, and the geese were coming out of the water almost right up to us! She got scared, and I actually got nervous too, and then I wished we'd brought Ranger to keep them back a little. We ended up throwing the rest of the bread at them quickly and getting out of there! I don't totally trust wild geese, especially when they have babies. Next time, Ranger will be there to protect us for sure!

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, it's Sunday night, and what a great weekend it's been! I had such a nice Mother's Day weekend this year, and I feel so blessed to have such a great family, both my side and on Travis's, and of course my amazing husband, Avery, and don't forget Ranger!

Yesterday we drove to Grove City, PA to do some shopping with my sisters and their families, and my parents. We went during Avery's naptime, thinking that she would nap for the hour or so it takes to get there. She decided to stay awake instead, so we were worried that she might be grumpy for the day. She did pretty well though, and enjoyed shopping with Kelsey and Lindsey and her baby cousin Cooper. We sent the husbands to the restaurant ahead of time, since there was a 2-hour wait when we called. We were able to shop successfully, and arrived at the restaurant just after they were seated...it worked out perfectly. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, and Avery (and Travis) slept the whole ride home.

This morning, Travis got Avery up, and they brought their Mother's Day cards upstairs to me in bed. Travis was very thoughtful to draw a picture of French toast on my card, and Avery drew some great lines on hers. She also read me M-O-M, and she is getting so good at knowing her letters of the alphabet. Her card had several pictures of momma bunny and baby bunny, and she showed my all of them.

Then we headed to The Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and we invited Travis's mom and brother, Kyle. We had a great breakfast (French toast of course) and Avery gave me another card that she helped Travis's mom make - with stickers! I loved it!

Since the weather was beautiful today, we took the boat and went crappie fishing (if that's how it's spelled?) We caught several fish (including a Muskie) and Avery loved being on the water. We stayed out for almost 4 hours. Then we came home and made some pork ribs in the smoker for dinner. They turned out great, and it was the perfect dinner. My Mother's Day weekend couldn't have been better!

Catchup!

Between Easter, Travis's marathon, and everything else going on, I haven't made much time for blogging recently. Therefore, I'm going to sum up the last few weeks in this post.

Just before Easter, Travis came down with the flu. He came home from work early and went straight to bed (and stayed there for a few days.) He wanted to rest as much as possible since he was running a marathon the following week. I took care of Avery and Travis on my own for a few days, and it was a challenge, but we all survived (and luckily Avery and I didn't catch anything from Travis!)

On Easter, Avery searched and found her Easter basket from the Easter bunny. She received a butterfly puzzle, a new word book, a new life jacket for the boat, a height chart, stickers, and candy. She probably enjoyed the candy the most! Travis was feeling marginally better, so we headed to church, and it was nice for us to be dressed up together! However, I missed my camera opportunity, and never got a picture of us. Too bad :( After Avery took her nap, we headed to Travis's grandparents for a dinner with his family. Avery got a few more things, including sunglasses and headbands which she loves! Travis did pretty well in recovery mode.

During the following week, Travis wasn't eating really well, but by Wednesday he was starting to feel a lot better. He knew he needed to eat a lot, since he was running a MARATHON in 4 days. He did the best he could, and I benefitted from eating at Bravo on Friday night and The Olive Garden on Saturday night.  We drove the marathon course on Friday, and went to the expo at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. It was really nice - except we forgot the stroller and of course Avery did Not want to walk. She wanted her daddy to carry her through it. So we had to rush, because we didn't want Travis to tire himself out for the big day. It was nice to get a quick walk through the stadium where the finish line would be the next day.

The day of the marathon I woke up with Travis around 5, and made sure he had everything ready to get out the door by 5:45. The race started at 7, and we decided it would be easier to drive separately since his parents were coming with us. I got ready, and woke Avery up around. 6:30. Travis's parents arrived around 6:45, and we headed out just after 7.  I had mapped out several places to see Travis when we drove the course, and we were able to see him at miles 9, 15, 20, and the finish line.

When we saw him the first time, he was feeling great and running well. Around mile 15, he let me know his ankle and knee were hurting, but he was ok. Around mile 20, he wasn't feeling as well, and his other knee was having sharp pains. He was also walking a lot more than he wanted to. He made it to the finish in about 5 hours and 6 minutes.

He was disappointed and frustrated because he trained very hard for 4-5 months, and it didn't go his way. I think the flu affected his fitness more than we though it would, and he wasn't totally recovered. He may have started a little faster than what he should have, and his running form probably suffered. (Just my opinion though.) I am very proud of him for finishing and not quitting, even though he didn't reach his goal. I think he may do another one (and I hope he does) because I know he is capable of running the entire race! Avery had a great time cheering on her daddy, and we enjoyed a meal at Cracker Barrel after the race.

Last week was pretty busy. I took Avery to a makeup class at Little Gym on Tuesday (to make up for Easter weekend) and on Thursday we picked up my dad from eye surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. He stayed at our house for the night, and went back to the Clinic on Friday (and home from there.)

This weekend, Avery got sick. Aaahhh when will we escape being sick in our house?? She just has a cold (I think) but she's not eating very well, and she's coughing a ton. I feel bad for her and want to make it better, but it's so tough! I'm hoping she'll start to recover soon because I'm ready to be outside in the warmer temperatures that are supposedly coming this week.

That's all for now...and I'm mostly caught up with what's been happening in our lives....mostly...haha.