nasty spill today

This is actually the second time I've fallen this week. I rolled my ankle b/c of a divot in a parking lot, lost my balance, and couldn't catch myself. Thankfully, with instinct, I protected my belly. I'm pretty sure baby is perfectly fine--in fact, he/she is hiccuping away right now. My left foot is hurt pretty bad--I can't bear any weight whatsoever on it. Mark is insistent on me getting it looked at so I have an appt with an orthopedic surgeon (one who Mark has a great deal of respect for at his hospital) at 3:15 pm. I'm terrified b/c I know he's gonna want to x-ray it. I'm still waiting for a call back from my OB. Why am I so frickin' clumsy??!!

update: We just got home and thank God it's not broken--it's "just sprained" (my 5th metatarsal on my left foot). They did do x-rays but both the orthopedic doc and my ob's partner said not to even think twice about it being harmful. They covered me up with a lead apron and sweet bean is perfect. He said just to wear thick soled shoes for a while for extra support (and of course ice, elevation, and rest). I still can't put much weight on it without cringing. Mark is being so helpful and P even seems to sense something is wrong with mom. I'm so lucky to have such amazing men in my life!!

32 week appt

was yesterday and everything is perfect. Baby is head down and heart rate was in the 150s. Its heart rate is typically in the 140s but baby was squirming trying to get away from the doppler, hence the acceleration. I have gained 2.5 pounds since my last appt bringing total weight gain to 30.5 pounds according to my scale and 29 pounds according to doc's scale. I gained about 31 pounds with Sweet P and I'd really like to keep it the same this time. We'll see how the next few weeks go. My doctor said to bring our calendars as we will be picking baby's birthdate!! Unless of course baby comes on its own before then. Next appt is in 2 weeks.

NYC Vacation

We are back from NYC--well, okay, we've been back since Wednesday night, but I've been having some computer trouble. I think we actually might need to put a phone call in to Geeks on Wheels. Anyhoo, we had a fabulous time. Here is a slideshow if you are interested in viewing it, make sure to click on "Slideshow" to view full picture and Mark's famous captions: http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklow...ey=O-bQ5mADieI Also, here is a rundown of what we did:

Sunday: We started the day off bright and early at 4 am. Pierce was a trooper though. He kept putting his arms up in the air as if asking, "What's going on?" We got to the airport and our flight was uneventful. P did phenomenal on the flight. It was a rather empty flight which is a rarity these days. It was nice to have the extra room for stretching and walking around. After catching a cab from La Guardia to our hotel in Midtown, we headed to a famous pizza parlor for some delicious coal oven pizza. Next we went to FAO Schwartz to meet my online friend Heather and her family. While waiting for them we picked out teddy bears for P and baby #2. Many of you may recall, a teddy bear was purchased from this store when we were pregnant with Pierce (our 1st purchase for him). It's sort of a tradition now, as we got him another teddy bear when we brought him to the City in May. We are so excited to continue this tradition with Pierce and begin it with his lil' brother or sister. Heather and her family met us and we walked around the gigantic toy store for quite a while. It was extremely crowded with holiday shoppers. Next, we went up 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Center for a glimpse of their enormous Christmas tree. Along the way P and Alex (Heather's son who is P's age) both fell asleep. It was a long day for both families (Heather's crew traveled from Philly to see us!!). We also stopped by Starbucks for something warm to drink and braved Times Square's crowd to visit Toys R Us. There is a huge ferris wheel inside--at which P looked, pointed to, and signed "please". While we didn't take a ride b/c of the crowds today, we hope to go back before we leave. We said our goodbyes to Heather and family and headed to the Upper West Side for some take out from a place who specializes in Peruvian style roasted chicken and plantains. After a long day, we were happy to get back to the hotel, nosh on some delicious food, and rest our sore tootsies.

Monday: After a not so quick breakfast of botched orders, we went back to Toys R Us to ride their enormous ferris wheel. P enjoyed it quite a bit and was pointing everywhere while on it. It was nice to have free roam of the place, sans the Sunday holiday crowd. Next we went to Bryant Park Marketplace which is an awesome lil' outdoor park behind the main branch of the NYC Public Library. During the winter there are all sorts of fabulous shops with different arts and craft type things for sale and an ice skating rink. We grabbed some Starbucks and browsed. We found P's 2007 Christmas ornament here which is a distressed wood Santa that says New York on his belt and 2007 on his coat. After the park, we went back to the hotel for a nap. For lunch, Mark picked up some Vietnamese take out and had it waiting for P and I when we woke up. It was very good. After we ate, we went to the Donnell branch of the New York City Public Library for storytime. P is very accustomed to attending storytime in Texas, but this one didn't hold his attention. He was much more interested in running out the door to play with the elevator buttons. We left early. Next we went to Saks 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Center again. We had hopes to see Santa here, but he didn't show up for work today. Rockefeller Center was much less crowded than Sunday. I still marvel at that massive tree--it's gorgeous!! We went back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. We ate at a fabulous Greek restaurant. It was delish!!

Tuesday: This morning we had a quick breakfast and headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see their famous Angel Tree. It's absolutely stunning, but unfortunately photography isn't allowed. It's ornaments and surrounding Nativity scene were made in Naples over 200 years ago. The detail on even the peripheral figures needs to be seen to be appreciated. Then we looked around for a bit (you could literally spend a week in there) before viewing the notable painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware". This is Mark and my 5th visit to the City and our 4th visit to this museum, but each time we've been to the MET the painting has been closed to visitors. We finally had our chance to see the long awaited painting. It's beautiful and we were able to take a picture. After the museum, we picked up some take out pizza from our fave pizza place (again--yes, we ate their pizza twice on our trip, if you've ever had it you would know why!!) and back to the hotel for a nap. After naptime, we went to have afternoon tea at Alice's tea shop. P loved their buttermilk scones with mixed berries and clotted cream. Later that afternoon, Mark and I noticed P didn't seem to be feeling well. He was sneezing quite a bit, a lil' snotty, and coughing. Thankfully he is such a wonderful baby and rarely fusses, even when sick. Despite his good nature, it was cold and rainy, and mom and dad thought it'd be a good idea to call it an early night. We picked him up some meds, grabbed some take out from a renowned Turkish restaurant, and went back to the hotel.

Wednesday: P woke up this morning feeling a bit better than yesterday. Part of us wonders if his lil' cold is partly due to the weather. Fortunately the weather wasn't too bad today. We had a quick breakfast and headed to Central Park which was just a few blocks from our hotel. We immediately went to Gapstow Bridge where Mark proposed almost 5 years ago (it's tradition to visit the bridge and take a pic each visit we make to the City). After a quick picture, we went to Macy's so Pierce could visit Santa Claus. Wow--they do it up right there--Santa Land was incredible!! P was a lil' unsure of Santa this year. He didn't cry (almost did at one point) but for the most part he just didn't want to sit in his lap. He tried climbing out the whole time. After his pic was taken, we had a family pic taken. As soon as I sat next to Santa, P climbed out of his lap into mine. Haha!! After Macy's we went back to the hotel for a nap and to checkout while Mark picked up some take out lunch from a phenomenal and obscure Greenwich Village Lebanese restaurant. On his way back to the hotel he saw Jordyn Sparks, last season''s American Idol winner, on the street. We checked out and headed to LGA to fly home. We had a few delays we had to endure due to weather in the DFW area, but made it back safe and sound. We were seated directly in front of the main anchorwoman for Dallas' CBS affiliate, Karen Borta. She marveled at what a good boy Pierce was during the flight and of course, at how adorable he is. She played peek a boo with him and he signed "airplane" for her.

Thankfully the weather cooperated and it wasn't too cold or rainy throughout our trip. P learned the motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider while we were gone and also cut a new tooth (the 3rd upper left tooth). We had an incredible vacation and were so happy to share the magic of Christmas time in NYC with our main man.

30 week appt

We had our 30 week appt this morning. My mom came with and was really excited to hear baby. Our appt was just like I like it--nice and uneventful!! I am measuring good and baby sounds perfect--heart rate was in the 140s. I have gained 5 pounds since my last appt (pretty good if you consider all the food I indulged in over Thanksgiving and vacation) bringing my total weight gain to 26.5 pounds based on my doc's scale and 28 pounds based on my scale. I passed the GD test and my blood work came back good. My iron is a lil' low so my doc told me to start taking an iron supplement once a day. I received a flu shot since pg women are high risk. My next appt is in 2 weeks!!

Small brag

We made it to our 18 month BFing goal!! I am so proud!! We were just down to bedtime feeds and I decided wait until after the craziness and disrupted schedules that come with the holidays and just take nursing 1 day at a time. I didn't want to push weaning during such a hectic time. However, the next night P wanted nothing to do with nursing (he hadn't been interested for several weeks--he was ready to stop--mom not so much ). He kept pulling off signing milk. So I went to the fridge and got him a sippy of milk. He drank the whole thing. After he was finished I laid him on my shoulder and sang to him for a minute and prayed with him like I usually do after he nurses. I figured if he wanted to nurse he'd ask--but he laid his head down to cuddle. I put him in his crib awake and he went right to sleep. I, on the other hand, left the room . DH was so super supportive and kept comforting me and reminding me this is a good thing--our lil' man is growing up and becoming more independent. It's so very bittersweet though...... The next night same thing--sippy of milk, cuddling, singing, prayers, (didn't ask to nurse), put in his crib, and asleep on his own right away. I'm so proud of my lil' man, but at the same time I can't help but feel a lil' sad with this milestone. I'm so super thankful that we made it to our goal and ended BFing on his terms--when he was ready though. So, we made our goal and P self weaned!!

Hiccups

I felt baby hiccup for the 1st time this morning.

P's 18 month well baby

was yesterday and went great!! Our ped said he is absoulutely PERFECT!! Mark and I talked with her about our speech concerns (he says 10 words--but they aren't consistent but he signs over 30 words consistently, appropriately, in context, and totally unprompted--he's even combing 2-3 signs and picks up new signs easily). She said since signs count as words, he's actually WAY ahead developmentally (she was very impressed)!! We were so relieved to here her say this. She said as he approaches his 2nd birthday, he will start saying the word with the sign and eventually drop the sign altogether. I have noticed he has already started saying "thank you" with the sign. P didn't receive any shots either b/c we are continuing to delay the MMR and chicken pox vaccine until he turns 2. Our ped isn't a big advocate for the flu shot either (since P isn't in daycare) so we declined that one too. So no owwies for him!! His stats:weight 22 pounds (5-10%)length 32 1/4 inches (50-75%)head 19 1/2 inches (90-95%)He's long, lean, and has a big brain!! He's still following perfectly on all of his growth curves and she couldn't be more pleased.
Today he also cut his 3rd right top tooth. Mark and I went on a date for the 1st time without putting P to bed before leaving—he did great—mom said when she laid him down, he sang himself to sleep.

learning lots

Pierce can hoot like an owl, baa like a sheep, puts arms up as if to say I don’t know, sign car, tree, leaf, and your welcome, can imitate a yawn, sneeze, or cough, knows where his hands are, and blows on hot food.

We did it!!

P is officially weaned. After we made it to our 18 month goal I decided to just take it 1 day at a time and not really force weaning until after we return from Nashville next week (I have read that you aren't supposed to wean when you are out of town and there are disruptions to routine, schedules, etc.). Anyhoo, Saturday night P wanted nothing to do with nursing (he hasn't been interested for several weeks--he was ready to stop--mom not so much). He kept pulling off signing milk. So I went to the fridge and got him a sippy of milk. He drank the whole thing. After he was finished I laid him on my shoulder and sang to him for a minute and prayed with him like I usually do after he nurses. I figured if he wanted to nurse he'd ask--but he laid his head down to cuddle. I put him in his crib awake and he went right to sleep. I, on the other hand, left the room crying. Mark was so super supportive and kept comforting me and reminding me this is a good thing--our lil' man is growing up and becoming more independent. It's so very bittersweet though...... Last night, same thing--sippy of milk, cuddling, singing, prayers, (didn't ask to nurse), put in his crib, and asleep on his own right away. I'm so proud of my lil' man, but at the same time I can't but feel a lil' sad with this milestone. I'm thankful that we made it to our goal and ended breastfeeding on his terms--when he was ready though.

A few more milestones: can sign banana and play, can hold up 1 finger when asked how old he is, can say “there you go”, papa, and thank you, can point to his ears, toes, feet, head, and belly (baby)

18 months today!!

I can't believe my sweet P is 18 months old!! AND we made it to our breastfeeding goal!! I am so proud!! Wish us luck in the final weaning process--we're just down to bedtime feeds. I haven't decided if I am going to wait until we get back from being out of town after Thanksgiving or not. We'll just take it day by day. It's such a bittersweet moment!!

my 26 week appt

went great!! I am measuring right on and baby's heart rate was in the 150s. It has been in the 140s, but I am assuming the delicious orange glucose I drank right before my appt probably pepped it up a bit. The nurse said they'd call if the GD test results were abnormal otherwise they'd discuss it with me at my next appt. I gained 3 pounds since my last appt--I was super nervous getting on the scale. This brings my total weight gain to 21.5 pounds according to my doc's scale and 23 pounds according to my scale. I asked my doctor again about the Braxton Hicks and she said as long as they aren't getting stronger and more frequent than 5 in 1 hour then everything is fine. So all is well!! I go back in 4 weeks and then I start seeing her every 2 weeks. I can't believe it's time for that already!!

Wurst Fest

We had a great time this weekend in Austin visiting my brother. He is doing well and is very happy with his personal and professional life. We made a trip to New Braunfels on Saturday for their annual Wurst Fest which is basically a German festival. Lots of good food, music, pp watching, and beer (none for P or me of course!!). Anyhoo, I'm not gonna bore you all with a slideshow like I usually do on the private board. In fact, I left our camera in the hotel by accident. But Mark did snap these two pics with his cellphone at the festival.
P and I:
P and his Uncle (Pierce really took to him this trip. In fact, he would let go of holding my hand and run to his Uncle to hold his hand. He would sign "more please" for more high 5's and tickles from him too. It was really sweet!! )
Pierce also learned to sign "train" on the trip. We were at the festival and a loud train passed by (you couldn't see it b/c of buildings, pp, and trees). When he heard it, he started singing "train" just by recognizing the sound!! Mark and I were very impressed as we have only shown him this sign a few times. He loves to do this with airplanes, dogs, and birds too. He can also sign cat, balloon, and bath (wash) and can point out his nose, eyes, and mouth. He cut his top right molar with no fuss. He amazes me daily!!

new signs

Pierce learned to sign bubble and ball today. He can also imitate blowing bubbles.

P's 2nd Halloween

Pierce's 2nd Halloween was quite fun and packed with activity. This past Saturday we took him (along with his Nana) to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch--the same one we went to last year. He had lots of fun exploring and roaming around the pumpkins. Yesterday (Halloween) was very busy. Nana joined us for the festivities. We carved a pumpkin after an extra afternoon nap (we knew it would be a long night and wanted a well-rested boy). He seems to have inherited my gag reflex and began gagging immediately upon seeing the stringy insides. Nevertheless, he still helped and seemed to enjoy. I was quite satisfied with how the pumpkin turned out, despite my lack of artistry. After a costume change, we took Pierce to our local town square where our city was hosting a fall festival. He played his 1st game of bean bag toss, received quite a bit of candy, and had a balloon dog made. Then we headed home to do some trick or treating in our neighborhood. We went to about 10 homes of the neighbors we know. P is one of the youngest in our neighborhood and neighbors always delight in seeing him. They were super excited to find him ringing their doorbells. Pierce dressed as a skeleton this year. We had to be really creative with his costume this year as he won't keep a hat on. I was planning for him to be a monkey but he just wouldn't keep the hat on. I had gotten him a skeleton shirt for him to wear during the day for Halloween, and Mark suggested we just paint some pants to match. So that's what we did. I scanned the shirt, used PSP to b.low up some bones, printed them out on an iron on transfer, then painted over it with glow in the dark paint. Woll-a--costume made!! Pierce had so much fun trick or treating. He is accustomed to going on daily walks in our neighborhood, but is usually confined to his stroller. He thought he was big stuff walking the neighborhood last night. We had his wagon just in case he got tired, but he had a blast walking everywhere. We had an awesome holiday with our lil' man!! I hope you all enjoyed yours!! Here is a link to a slideshow of pictures if you are interested: http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Hall...key=oxGvam_BD0g Click on slideshow for full picture and caption.

Pumpkin Patch

We took P to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. He had lots of fun!!
Let's get this one:
Okay I'll smile:
The 3 (almost 4) of us:
Nana and P looking at the goats:
P and Mom (notice him struggling to get away from my cuddles):
Look at this one:
Ready for my 1st Halloween Party:
*note--we had to be really creative with his costume this year as he won't keep a hat on. I was planning for him to be a monkey but he just wouldn't keep the hat on. I had gotten this shirt for him at TCP for him to wear during the day for Halloween and Mark suggested we just paint some pants to match. So that's what we did. I scanned the shirt, used psp to b.low up some bones, printed it out on an iron on transfer, then painted over it with glow in the dark paint. Woll-a--costume made!!

more signs

Pierce learned how to sign read, book, and flower today. He's also putting 2 signs together—-more apple, more please, etc.

doc just called

and all is well!! The nurse ran my long winded message by my doc and she said she was with everything!!

She said that as long as I am not having more than 5 Braxton Hicks in an hour and they aren't getting stronger and not going away--no worries. She said that with me having sweet P and running around after him, my body is handling the pregnancy totally different than with him. She said to make sure and stay hydrated and otherwise all is good.

I asked her about the paint too, b/c I was worried about the oil based primer and she said they're not worried there either. Their concerns are with lead based paints which aren't allowed anymore anyway. A friend of mine asked her husband (who is a toxicologist) he isn't concerned either. So all is perfect!!

Is is February yet??!!

My boys are sick

Mark and Pierce both have some sort of stomach virus and have been throwing up. I feel so bad for both of them. I'm trying my hardest to take good care of them.

Mark sees baby move

Mark saw baby move for the 1st time today. P is always so sweet and loves to love on my belly!! It's the sweetest thing!! He's gonna be the greatest big brother, I just know it!!

Our vacation, update, & pics

We are back from our trip to the Smoky Mountains--actually got back Thursday night, but it took a bit for Mark and I to get our act together to put together a slideshow. If you would like to view pics there is a slideshow at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Smok...key=bOgFhAec8pA Click on slideshow for full caption and picture.Here is a rundown of what we did:

We departed DFW on Monday to fly to Knoxville, TN. Because of weather in the Dallas area it was a pretty stressful morning with flight delays, setting on the runway for a while, and baggage problems. However, we got there safe and sound which is what matters most. We grabbed a quick lunch at the airport and discovered Pierce has learned how to use a fork with efficiency! We drove to Gatlinburg, TN to check into our hotel. It was more like an upscale lodge. We had our own private entrance, staircase, living room, kitchen, patio, bathroom, and bedroom. It was quite luxurious--we would highly recommend it to any honeymooners in the fall. The view was spectacular. Mount LeConte, the tallest peak in the Smokies, was the backdrop from our patio. Since we were late getting in, we weren't able to do what we had originally planned. Instead we made a run to the store for milk for P and picnic supplies for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We ate dinner at the restaurant of our lodge (patio dining--upscale American food, think steaks, seafood, etc.) and watched the sun set.

Tuesday morning we ate breakfast at our lodge's restaurant and headed out for a hike. We drove through the TN Smokies to the NC side. There were quite a few amazing views but we didn't get pictures of them because we were on a time crunch. The colors were at their peak at higher altitudes with the trees having brilliant colors of crimson and gold. We hiked to Mingo Falls, the highest waterfall in the Appalachian Mountains, located in Cherokee territory. It was a short hike, but it was straight up stairs. After our tiring but beautiful hike, we headed out for a picnic lunch at an overlook in western North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We settled in a lovely little grassy area but quickly became swarmed by gnats that Mark coined, "blue mountain gnats" with no scientific basis. We moved our picnic into our Chevy Impala rental instead. Next we drove to Ashville, NC to spend the day touring the house and grounds of the Biltmore Estate. This is still owned by the Vanderbilt descendants and was once the residence of George Vanderbilt (the old man's grandson). The house itself has 4 acres under roof, over 250 rooms, and a dining room with a 70 foot ceiling. faint This place is the only North American true blue castle and there is nothing like it. The grounds take up easily 1/3 of the city of Ashville boasting many formal gardens, a farm, and a winery. It took more than 15 minutes of driving at 35 MPH across the estate to exit the premises. It was quite impressive and deserved more than an afternoon's visit. After making the 2 hour drive back to TN, we at dinner at our lodge's restaurant again, this time choosing to dine indoors.

After breakfast on Wednesday at our lodge's restaurant, we were surprised by an early arrival of our sister in law, nephews, and niece from Nashville. We had plans to meet for lunch and to spend the afternoon together and were quite overjoyed when we discovered we would get to spend the entire day with them. As soon as they arrived, we hiked to Buckberry Creek (down a path from our lodge) which is stocked with trout for fishing, but the local drought has been detrimental to their survival. There is a huge pavilion with several big fire pits. Pierce enjoyed climbing on all of the rocks and stairs, while his cousins played in the stream. After hiking straight back up the mountain, we had a picnic lunch (inside our lodge) then Mark, Rebecca, Grant, and Cynthia headed out for some local attractions while I stayed behind with the little ones (Pierce and James) so we could nap. Mark and company enjoyed the Sugarlands Visitor Center. After a refreshing nap, we forewent the hike back down to Buckberry Creek in favor a ride on the "mountain limo" which is essentially a hummer type military vehicle. We had the driver build us a fire in one of the fire pits so we could roast marshmallows for s'mores. Once we had our fill, we called the driver for a return trip as we had learned our lesson earlier in the day. Nashville family headed out and we cleaned up for dinner at a local steakhouse--Cherokee Grill. I think this in the only time in the 7 1/2 years Mark and I have been together I have seen him eat steak three days in a row. Man, was it good!

Thursday morning we grabbed a quick breakfast from the lodge's restaurant, got packed up, and checked out. We ate lunch at a fantastic little tea room that specializes in wild plum tea and chicken salad flavored with nutmeg. We bought their cookbook to add to my collection. We toured a few local craft shops and were given the opportunity to trade crafts for Pierce. This isn't the first time we've been presented with a similar offer--on his very 1st vacation to the Texas Hill Country when he was about 8 weeks old, a local jerky smokehouse offered to trade his weight in jerky for him, straight up. noguy Yeah right, people!! Our flight home was uneventful just like I like it. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back.

Pierce learned so much during our trip--in fact he picked up 5 new signs including "eat", "drink", "please", "thank you", and "airplane". He also got 2 new teeth (top left 1st year molar and bottom right tooth next to the front tooth) which brings his teeth total to 11 (5 on top and 6 on bottom). Since being home he has learned 4 more signs--"dog", "apple", "bird", and "I love you" (which brings his total to 18 signs). He has also learned how to say "down" and "night night" (which brings his total to 9 words). We had many admirers approach us and tell us how well behaved and adorable he is!! I am so proud--he amazes me daily!!

I had my 22 week check up last Friday and everything looks great. Baby sounds wonderful (heart rate was in the 140s). It rolled over while she was checking for it and had a nice decel with the movement and it picked right back up (exactly what it should do). I'm measuring good too. But boy oh boy, are you ready for this?? I gained 11.5 pounds since my last appt bringing my total weight gain to 20 pounds by my doc's scale and 21.5 pounds by my scale. I had a nice talking to about needing to watch it a bit until she looked back in my chart at my weight gain with P. She noticed that I tend to gain most of my weight at the beginning to middle of pregnancy and taper off at the end. In fact, I only gained 6 pounds from 31 weeks to delivery with P. I gained 31 pounds with him and would really like to gain about the same with this one. I really don't understand (and neither does Mark) as my diet hasn't changed, and I walk at least 1-2 miles a day. He's convinced the scale was different. She was excited we had the will power to stay team green again and reiterated she didn't know either so she wouldn't "spill the beans". Our next appt is scheduled for November 14th at which I will take the GD test.

After my appt we headed out to the Texas State Fair. We dined on Fletcher's corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob, Belgian waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream with fresh squeezed lemonade to wash it all down. It was P's 1st taste of corn dogs. He was surprisingly indifferent about them--favoring mostly the breading with ketchup and mustard and spitting out the hot dog portion. We had a good time and got a lot of information on some SUVs we are looking at. Here a few pics from the fair:

P and I sharing his 1st corn dog:
Mark and P in front of Big Tex (the fair mascot):

blow kisses, tooth, and apple

P learned how to blow kisses today. He also cut his bottom right tooth next to his front tooth a few weeks ago. He can sign apple now too.

see baby movements

Saw baby move for the 1st time today.

Our Big U/S

went great!! Baby looks perfect--all 4 chambers of the heart, 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 feet, 2 hands, beautiful face, great brain, placenta, spinal chord, and umbilical cord!! We are so super thankful!! Baby was very active, but the sonographer (same one we had with P) was still able to get all the measurements and everything is right on target. It was lying in a position which made it difficult to get a profile pic and even balled up and went to sleepat the end. Baby weighs 12 ounces and its heartrate was 162 BPM. Mark, Sweet P, and my mom all came with me. P did wonderful and even giggled looking at his lil' bro or sis. We're having a.......................................................






































































healthy baby!! We're still waiting until delivery to find out the sex!! There was a point in time that we could see the bottom area and the legs and I was getting super. She said, "Don't worry, I am no where near there, it just looks like I am. Plus baby was lying in a way that made it difficult to see anyway. She had us all turn our heads for a moment while she looked at the cord. She was eventually able to see the gender but did not/does not document it anywhere. She has an admirable poker face. Not even our doc will know until delivery.

score on books

P could seriously start his own library!! Yesterday when we returned from shopping, our front porch was covered with about 50 books from our neighbor. Her son has outgrown them and she wanted P to have them. How sweet of her!! Between my books as a child, books I've collected over the years from teaching, gifts, and the generosity of our neighbor, his book shelf is literally overflowing!!

molars

P just got both of his bottom 1st year molars and is working on the top ones. He's handling it beautifully!! I only noticed he was getting them by seeing/feeling them. He has recently learned how to walk up and down the stairs while holding onto the banister (he used to crawl up and down them). He loves practicing!! I think we're getting super close to transitioning to 1 nap a day--in fact, we're trying it out tomorrow for the 1st time.

Mark feels baby

Mark felt baby move for the 1st time today.

You know you're showing when.............

a neighbor has the guts to ask you when you are due!! I've popped!! Yesterday my neighbor across the street pointed at my tummy and said, another one??!!

appt this mornin

went great!! Baby sounds great--heart rate was 152 BPM. I have gained 7.5 pounds since my last appt bringing total weight gain to 8.5 pounds according to my doc's scale (10 according to my own). Eekk!! All is going well though!! I saw my doc's partner today (I was supposed to see my doc last Friday but her father passed away so we rescheduled). I asked him if all goes well with my repeat c-section if we could be discharged after only a 2 day stay. He agreed and said if all goes well, we can. That makes me feel lots better--I wanna get home to my lil' man as soon as possible!! This is the 1st appt Mark hasn't been to (he went to every single appt with sweet P) b/c of having to reschedule. I am sad he didn't get to hear the baby. Our big u/s is scheduled for October 10th (we won't find out the sex until delivery) and my next ob appt is October 19th.

sweet bean kicks

Yesterday I started feeling sweet bean kick at 17 weeks and 5 days!! I have been feeling flutters for several weeks but they are getting so much stronger. I looked in my pregnancy journal with sweet P to see how far along I was with him when I felt kicks and I was exactly 17 weeks and 5 days too (felt flutters several weeks before)!! How special!! I love this part of pregnancy!!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Hello!! We're home--got back in late last night. We had an awesome time. We didn't end up taking our laptop like I originally planned--we couldn't get internet in our cabin. If you are interested you can view a slideshow of pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Rock...key=JNTsXRFPp1I (click on slideshow for full picture and caption) and here is a rundown of what we did:

Monday: Our day started off with some nasty thunderstorms in Dallas. Fortunately we arrived to the airport in time for our flight--which was later delayed 30 minutes. Little did we know at the time that once our plane left the gate, we would set on the runway for an additional 1 1/2 hours before departing because of a ground hold from the weather. Pierce did fantastic though!! Oftentimes I find that he has more patience than his parents. He slept for most of the flight. Once arriving at Denver International we got our rental car and set off for a quick lunch and an 1 1/2 hour drive into Estes Park. Again, Pierce slept most of the way. I couldn't get a tight installation rear facing in his carseat in our rental car, so he rode forward facing for the first time. He loved it (he's back rear facing at home though)! He smiled and grinned at everything. It was exciting to turn to check on him and see him smiling back at us instead of the back of his seat. Although CO was supposed to be cold and rainy, the weather was beautiful ~70 degrees and sunny for our entire trip with cooler temps at night. Because of our delay at DFW, there was little time for our originally scheduled plans. We checked into our cabin which was set right on the Big Thompson River. We got settled in and then toured downtown Estes Park. It's a very quaint little town that has a rushing river running through it. Lots of shops and restaurants are along the waterway. We picked up some salad and pizza from a local pizzeria and met Mark's bro's family from Nashville back at our cabin for dinner (we saw about 15 elk on the side of the road on the way back). It was wonderful seeing Nashville--we haven't seen them since early April. At that time Pierce wasn't walking yet (standing and cruising though). It was really neat seeing him interact, running, and playing with his cousins. Every night we built a fire in our fireplace and opened our windows so we could hear the stream rushing by.

Tuesday: Our day started early at 5 am (6 am Dallas time). We went to a fantastic local breakfast spot who makes their own yummy granola. As we arrived back to our cabin there was a small herd of elk on the property. Then we met Nashville at Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked about 2 miles round trip to a gorgeous waterfall called Alberta falls. It was breathtaking. I love watching Pierce see something for the first time. It's almost like me seeing it for the very first time also except for in a new, more exciting way. We saw several elk and squirrels during our visit to the park. After an afternoon nap, we went to the on-site stables to pet the ponies and horses. Then we all met up for a hike around Sprague Lake. Next we went to dinner at a well-known B&B which had stunning views of the Rockies.

Wednesday: We had a more regularly scheduled day today, which included both morning and afternoon naps (previous days weren't exactly scheduled and were caught on the go). We had breakfast at another delightful lil' hometown cafe. As we were finishing up another diner pointed out a group of mule deer just across the street for P to see. We had a picnic lunch on a rock that jutted out into a beautiful lake called Bear Lake that we hiked. We met some very friendly ducks and chipmunks. Later that afternoon we hiked around Lily Lake. All were extremely gorgeous and picturesque. It surprised me that each of the bodies of water we hiked were all crystal clear. We got takeout from a local Italian hot spot for dinner and it was delish. Dare I say the BEST marinara I have ever tasted?!

Thursday: We met Nashville for an impromptu breakfast at another local cafe. We parted ways from here and they went onto Colorado Springs (and later to Texas to visit for the weekend). We returned to our cabin for a nap and to check out. We ate lunch at the same Italian restaurant we ordered takeout from the previous night--I told you it was good! Then we drove back to DEN airport for our flight home. Pierce was wide awake for the whole flight but again did amazing. We are super proud of him!

This was by far the most scenic vacation we have ever been on--the mountains are so majestic, absolutely breathtaking. Pierce loves to be outdoors and it was great peace of mind knowing the weather wasn't too hot like in Texas. We had a super relaxing time with beautiful scenery and delicious food. In fact, I didn't apply a brushing of make-up the entire trip. All in all a superb trip, but again, always glad to be at home sweet home.

movement & maternity clothes

I felt baby move for the 1st time on Sunday—I was 14 weeks 5 days. I think I have been feeling baby move since I was about 12 weeks but Dr. Reeves said it’s too early. I started wearing maternity clothes on Wednesday at 15 weeks 1 day.

riding toys

Pierce has learned within the last week how to ride on his riding toys and push himself along unassisted.

15 month breastfeeding milestone

We did it!! I am so proud of us!! My original breastfeeding goal was 12 months and when we reached it, I set a new goal of 15 months. I am so proud that we made them both and are still going strong!! We only have the night feed now. I'm not quite sure when we'll be ready to drop the last feed. Nighttime snuggles are my fave part of the day!!

Pierce is wearing size 4 diapers now.

my appt

went great!! All looks, feels, and sounds wonderful!!

Baby's heartrate was 160 BPM. Doc asked if it sounded like a girl or boy heartbeat. I said, "I don't know, you tell me, what do you think?" I asked if she believe in the old wives tale and she said no. Mark and I discussed how early in our pregnancy with P his heartrate was fast, but as we got further along it slowed down. She said that's exactly what it is supposed to do--lil' mammals have fast heartrates and as they get larger the rate gets slower.

I have gained 1 pound since my 1st appt which puts me at 1 pound total weight gain according to my doc's scale (2.5 pounds according to my own scale). All my blood work came back good--even my iron.

She did have my LMP correct but still kept my due date at February 19th. She said my dating u/s actually showed February 23 but when it is within 1 week they keep the original date.

Questions I asked:
Is it too soon to feel movement?? (I guess I'm just imagining it), I should start feeling baby in 3-4 weeks

Is it okay to continue to wear P in our ergo?? Absolutely--I can wear him through our whole pregnancy

I realize delivery is a long way away, I'm just getting nervous about lifting restrictions post c-section. I wanna be able to hold my P. What are the weight restrictions?? Don't lift anything heavier than baby and the carseat for 2 weeks. I can still hold P and even sit in the floor and let him climb into my lap and stand holding him this way--I just can't lift him directly up off the floor for 2 weeks. I so needed this reassurance--I wanna be able to cuddle my lil' man!!

So all is well and perfect!! Next appt is September 13.

We have already told our parents and siblings (told them the day after we found out we were pregnant) about our pregnancy. When we got home I called my dad (hadn't told him yet b/c when we told him we were pregnant with P he was constantly asking me when he could tell others b/c we wanted to wait a few weeks, so we waited to tell him this time when he could tell), grandparents, an aunt, and pseudo step dad. About to send an email with pics of P in his big brother shirt to other aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Loving Two

I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand,
basking in the glow of our magical relationship.
Suddenly I feel a kick from within,
as if to remind me that our time alone is limited.
And I wonder;
How could I ever love another child as I love you?

Then she is born, and I watch you.
I watch the pain you feel at having to share me
as you've never shared me before.

I hear you telling me in your own way,
"Please love only me."
And I hear myself telling you in mine,
"I can't", knowing, in fact, that I never can again.

You cry. I cry with you.
I almost see our new baby as an intruder
on the precious relationship we once shared.
A relationship we can never quite have again.

But then, barely noticing,
I find myself attached to that new being,
and feeling almost guilty.
I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying her--
as though I am betraying you.

But then I notice your resentment change,
first to curiousity, then to protectiveness,
finally to genuine affection.

More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine.
The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.

But something else is replacing those wonderful times
we shared, just we two.
There are new times--only now we are three.
I watch the love between you grow,
the way you look at each other, touch each other.

I watch how she adores you--as I have for so long.
I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments.
And I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you,
I've given something to you.
I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love
openly with both of you.

I find that my love for each of you is as different as
you are, but equally strong.
And my question is finally answered, to my amazement.
Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you--only differently.

And although I realize that you may have to share my time,
I now know you'll never share my love.
There's enough of that for both of you--you each have
your own supply.

I love you--both.
And I thank you both for blessing my life.

-author unknown

back from vacation

We're home!! We got home early yesterday evening. We had a wonderful time but are glad to be at home. Here is a slideshow of pics from our trip. Click on slideshow to see the full pic and caption. http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Texa...key=JpzCGWEgUJ8

Saturday we ate lunch and dinner with my mom, her hubby, and my brother who lives in Austin. We also spent the afternoon at his apartment pool. We had plans to go to Barton Springs but it was closed due to recent rain. We had a gorgeous view of downtown Austin and the capitol building from our suite.

Sunday, we had breakfast with my mom and her DH and then got a tour of my brother's biology lab at UT (he's 3rd in charge). We had lunch and then went to the co-op store to get P some longhorn gear for this year's football season. My mom and her husband then left to come back to the Dallas area. After an afternoon nap, we went to meet an online friend and her daughter at a local mall for a play date. I have to admit Mark and I were pretty nervous when we arrived and saw lots of kids older and bigger than Pierce playing. P has never really played with other children and spent a short while just standing, staring, and scoping things out before joining in. The slide was a big hit and was quite popular among all the kiddoes. After we left, Mark decided parents should watch their children more closely. He said he got tired of watching P and our friend's daughter run over by big kids. But they held their own and had a fun time. In fact, such a fun time was had, P didn't want to leave. I think my nervousness showed a bit as I carried around my camera hovering over P the whole time, but only managed to take a few pics. We are so happy my friend took the time to come and meet us (and for taking lots of pics). Later that evening we had dinner with my brother and stopped for ice cream at a local ice cream parlor.

Monday morning we were on our own again, as my brother started his work week. We had breakfast and a morning nap and then checked out of our hotel. After a local lunch, we headed to Lakeway which is about 30 miles west of Austin. We stayed at a resort and spa right on Lake Travis. Our hotel had a breathtaking view of the lake. We spent the afternoon at the 5 hotel pools which included a kiddie pool with a beach type entrance, lots of fountains, and a huge slide. We had plans to go to Hamilton Pool but again, it was closed due to recent rains. We had a blast at the swimming pools and P was very upset to leave. We had a delicious dinner and saw 11 deer on our way back to the hotel. We went to bed early. It's amazing how spending the day in the sun really zaps your energy.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast outside at the hotel overlooking the pool and lake. After a nap, we headed back to Austin for a quick lunch and then drove home. Thanks for looking and reading!!

Pierce's 1st Haircut

this afternoon went very smoothly!! He did awesome!! He played with my cell phone the entire time. The only time he got a little scared was when my aunt got the blow dryer out to blow off a few loose hairs. As soon as she put it away, he was happy as could be again. He did wonderful--and so did mom!! I am glad we finally got it cut, it looks great!! It really did need to be shaped up. I had her point cut it so it still looks a lil' like a baby haircut instead of a blunt edge grown-up cut. Mark and my mom went with us. My lil' boy is just as handsome as ever with his big boy haircut!! Here are some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Pier...key=oyShqWggfNo

We're doing it

We're getting P's haircut for the 1st time tomorrow afternoon!! My aunt (who's like a 2nd mom to me) owns a barber shop and she will be doing the honors. Wish us luck (and strength)!! I'll bring back pics of course!!

My Sweet Bean

We're back and the u/s went great!! Baby is measuring right on target at 9 weeks and 6 days and looks perfect!! The heart rate was strong at 171 BPM. Baby is a little over an inch long. The sonographer kept calling it a lil' teddy bear and it was waving its arms, kicking its legs, and squirming all over. She said she wasn't gonna move my due date b/c everything is measuring exactly as it should (despite my long cycles, possible late o, and my uterus not feeling as large as it should at my appt last week). She was able to tell that I o'ed from my left ovary. It's amazing what technology can do!! She assured me that everyone gets an early dating u/s now as the ACOG starting recommending them in addition to the 20 week one as of January of this year. I finally figured out why my OB quoted my EDD as Feb 19 (instead of Feb 18th like I had calculated)--she thinks my LMP was a day later than it really was. The sonographer said we'd probably stick with the 19th as 24 hours isn't a big deal, but I'll still confirm with my doc at my next appt. P did awesome and was a perfect angel--she even commented on how well behaved he is. Later after we left, I asked Sweet P if he saw his lil' brother or sister on tv and he started clapping. Here are some pics:



Thank you all for the positive thoughts, well wishes, and prayers!!

U/S today

So I just called my doc's office to ask them to call me if they had any u/s cancellations between now and Thursday, as I would be willing to come in early (my doc wanted it scheduled ASAP b/c the earlier the better for dating u/s). Apparently I called at just the right time and they had a cancellation for TODAY at 3:30. Mark is off work (he was on call the whole weekend) so he and sweet P are coming with me!! Wish us luck!! I'm pretty nervous......

talked to ped's nurse

I just talked to the nurse and she said he's perfectly fine!! I thought she'd laugh at me when I described it to her and she said her son (who'll be 2 this fall) did the same thing the with her phone charger and she just got through talking with our ped this morning about it. He's perfect!!

seriously bad mama momma moment

Yesterday P was chewing on the electrical cord (plugged in) that connects to the baby monitor (he likes to play with the receiver). Anyhoo, he had unplugged it and was chewing on the plug itself while plugged into the outlet. He pulled it out of his mouth and looked at it funny. So, I tested it and sure enough--it shocks you like a battery will if you stick it to your tongue. He's acting perfect. My tongue is still a lil' tingly today. Gosh, I'm worried!! I should have intervened more quickly--stupid momma!!

I'm drying up

So we are just down to nursing at night. I really hope to make it to 15 months. However, the last few nights after P has finished the 2nd side, he signs "more". So I relatch him and he sucks for a bit and then pulls off to sign "more" again. I feel awful for my lil' guy 'cause I don't have more. His ped said he'll eventually realize this and stop asking--it breaks my heart. I don't have a powerful letdown anymore either. Not sure if it's b/c I weaned the other feeds or b/c I'm pregnant.

more bloodwork

This afternoon my doc's office called and said the lab needed them to redraw one of my blood vials. It freaked me out, of course. So when Mark got out of clinic, he met P and I at her office again today and they took more blood. She (the lab tech) said the lab must have misplaced one of my vials b/c it was missing--even though she's certain they drew it. As if I wasn't already worried enough...............

P has a toucch of eczema

P has had a small, tiny not very noticeable rash on his face near his nose and mouth for the past 2 weeks. It comes and goes. I talked to our ped's nurse about it a few weeks ago and since rashes are so hard to diagnose, we opted to just watch it. Well it gets better and then comes back so we decided to have it looked at. We went in this morning and sure enough it's eczema. She said it's probably just brought on from weather changes and seasonal allergies. He also has a lil' behind his ears (has actually had it there before, but I thought it was just dry from soap--just put lil' aquaphor on it and it cleared right up). Nothing anywhere else which is great news!! She said to keep aquaphor on him until it goes away but that it's nothing to be concerned about. More good news--my perfect peanut weighs 19 pounds 11 ounces now (up from 17 pounds 14 ounces at his one year well baby)!!

nursing update

I went ahead and started cutting back on feeds. Before I had posted, P had already dropped 1/5 feeds. I dropped another feed every 4-5 days. Pierce has handled them all suprisingly well. He still pulls on my shirt and signs milk when it is time to nurse, but distraction seems to be working. He has only cried 2 times (yesterday and Sunday) and I cried with him. We are now down to nursing just at morning and night. Mark worked with my OB this morning and was able to talk to her. She said that she is from the school of thought that at 13 months, the nutritional value of breast milk is very low and wouldn't want to divert any nutrients from our growing bean. That while she doesn't consider it optimal, it isn't harmful. Mark asked her about keeping the night feed for a while. Again, she said he isn't get much nutritionally from my milk at this age but does see it as a bonding relationship. She is okay with us continuing the night feed. So seriously, how much is our bean really missing out on nutritionally from 1 feed?? Plus, how do I know my bean is okay from the 5 weeks I breastfed 5 times a day?? I just wanna make sure I am doing what is best for both my little ones!!

P's walking!!

Yippee!! I am sooooooooooo proud of my lil' man!! He started standing on his own last Friday and has been taking steps here and there. All day long today he has taken many unassisted steps--as many as 6 in a row!! Just now Mark, my mom (she's watching him while we go on a date), myself, and P were sitting in our living room. P was walking across the living room on his knees (something I have never seen him do before) holding the remote. He then, stood up all on his own (something I haven't seen him do before without pulling up on something) and took about 6 steps toward my mom before loosing his balance!! We all clapped and made such a big deal which scared him. He cried a bit and then laughed. My baby's walking!!

My 1st ob appt

went okay. Not quite sure what to think about some of it. I didn't have to have a pap b/c I recently had one--I just got a complete physical. I didn't miss that part. I have gained 1.5 pounds since getting pregnant. She moved my due date to February 19th based on my LMP. After explaining that I have long cycles (something I should've told her when I was pregnant with P), she said that the ACOG now recommends an early u/s to date the pregnancy anyway, especially when a repeat c-section would be necessary. So, we are having an u/s next Thursday. I'm excited b/c we didn't get to peak in on sweet P until 20 weeks. At the same time, I'm scared b/c when she did my internal she said I didn't feel 9 weeks yet. Not sure what that means, guessing it has something to do with my long cycles. I asked about my iron levels (thinking maybe my headaches are from being slightly anemic--like I was during the last part of my pregnancy with P) and they check that with all the other blood work. She said she'd call if it was low and I needed to supplement. She also didn't seem too upset that P still nurses at bedtime. Lots of ohhhs and ahhhhs about how cute P is and how they can't believe he's 14 months old and lots of congrats too which made me one proud momma!! So next appt is in 4 weeks with my u/s scheduled in a week. At the next appt she will listen for fetal heart tones with the doppler. We are hoping and praying to see it on u/s next week!!

OB says to wean

I'm devastated.............I just spoke with my ob's office and she strongly recommends me wean P now. We're just not ready. We nurse 4-5 times a day. She advised quitting before the end of the week. I am so upset. Don't tell an emotional pregnant woman to wean when they aren't ready...... I feel like I'm letting my Sweet P down.......

P's new shirt!!

I tested and got a positive this morning!! I took a $ tree cheapo and saw a very faint line. Then I took a digital and there is no mistaking the "Pregnant" reading!! I dressed P in his shirt (I commissioned an online friend to make it when we started trying to get pregnant) while Mark was out of the room. It was pretty humorous as P and I struggled to get the shirt on before Mark walked back into the room. Needless to say, we are both thrilled and weren't expecting this at all!! Mark even teared up!! I also have a bib that I will give Mark later today that says "I love my Big Brother"!!

big boy seat & safety gates

We finally got 'em!! We went during BRU big sale this weekend and had a coupon for 10% of everything. We saved almost $50. I need to make an appt with our carseat safety tech for some installation help. I'm a lil' confused by the tethers.
We went with the Britax Boulevard. I can't believe how big my lil' sweet P looks in his new seat!!

We went with these gates: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?p...rentPage=family They are super secure--Mark and I both pulled very hard back and forth on them and they are very sturdy. I love that they have a foot pedal for opening--hands free.

my sweet ticklish boy

I just had to share this.............Pierce has been picking up on signs very quickly over the last few weeks. He started using "all done" when we were in NYC and over the last week he started using "more". (He did those signs randomly months ago, but he is now using them specifically and appropriately). Well, this morning I was tickling him and cuddling him. And when I go to tickle him, he will wave his arms back and forth like I do when I am about to tickle him. He does this b/c he wants more tickles. So anyhow, like I said, I was loving on him and tickling him and he starts waving his arms for more. I said, do you want more and then he signed "more"!! It was so sweet and so special!! Usually he signs for more food, I just love that he wanted more momma cuddles!!

Ack, I hurt P

I was just suctioning P's nose and he moved which caused the bulb syringe to go too high. Now his nose is bleeding!! I called his ped when they opened b/c I was so scared damaged his nasal passages!! They said that the mucous membranes are very vascular and bleed easily especially when they are inflamed from congestion. She said fortunately since it is such a vascular area like your mouth, it heals easily. She said I may see more blood in his snot for the next few days, but that he is perfectly fine!! I still feel like an awfully bad momma though.......

P's 1 year well baby

was this morning and it went great!! We had to postpone it b/c of our flight back from NYC getting canceled and his 1st cold last week. His weight is back on his curve and she was super pleased!! He weighed a lil' more at his visit last week but he had clothes on, today he was nakey babe. His head and height are fantastic and still following his original curve!! He is right on track developmentally!! She said he'll be walking any day. His hgb was back down to 9 but she isn't concerned since his weight is back on track. He received two vaccines (Hep A and pneumococcal conjugate) and we delayed chicken pox and mmr. His doc was extremely supporitve and said many parents choose this. He cried loud and hard for a moment when he received his shots, but stopped immediately after they gave him a toothbrush. He chewed on it almost the whole way home. He didn't even flinch when they pricked his toe to check his hemaglobin. She said we could continue breastfeeding as long as P and I are happy with it. She suggested at least 12-16 ounces of cow's milk a day. I asked her about snacks and she said depending on his morning nap, she recommends a late morning snack around 9:30 or 10:00 am and a late afternoon snack. She also said we could turn his carseat around now, b/c really the guidelines are more for neck and spine muscles and he would be just fine forward face at this age even though he is a precious peanut. I told her we are in no hurry to forward face and will continue to rear face for now. P is still a lil' stuffy from his cold last week. She said it could possibly be seasonal allergies if it persists through next week and gave us a sample of zyrtec if we wanted to try in a few weeks. I explained how his naps are getting shorter and she agreed he is probably transitioning to a 1 nap a day schedule. I had already started pushing his morning nap back in 15 minute increments so that eventually he'll only have an afternoon nap. She said to target a nap around 12-2 pm. She said nothing is off limits as far as food allergies are concerned now that P is one. We celebrated with a trip to the natural food store for supplies for his 1st pb&j sandwich. He ate almost the entire sandwich and a banana for lunch. It was a big hit!! Here are a few pics:



I am so very proud of my lil' man!! His doc couldn't believe he's one already--I told her neither could we!!

His stats:
Weight: 17 pounds 14 ounces (3-5%)
Height: 29 3/4 inches (50-75%)
Head: 18 3/4 inches (75-90%)

back from the ped

It's "only" a cold . Good news--his ears are perfect, chest is clear, and nose isn't broken!! She said to continue to alternate motrin and tylenol as needed for fever and 1/2 tsp -1 tsp of dimetapp in the am and pm. She said not to worry about giving it b/c the worries about cold meds are those which contain sudafed. This isn't one of those, and she even gives it to her babes when they don't feel well. I feel much better............now to get my Sweet P all better!! Oh and he's back on his growth curve!! Our goal for his well-baby was 18 pounds--he's 18 pounds and 6 ounces!! Yippee!! She said to take him on vacation more often.

1st sick visit

Our 1st sick child visit is this afternoon. P's ped's office was swamped yesterday b/c of the holiday weekend and didn't return my phone call placed 10 minutes after they opened at 8:10 am until 5:10 pm. I called at 3 pm just to make sure they planned to call me back before they left for the day. I'm pretty upset, b/c when they did call back his ped had already left for the day. The on call physician said more than likely his nose is just bruised and probably not broken. We are going in today to have our ped look at it since he is sick also. I pray it's perfectly fine!! This is our 1st cold, so I'm pretty worried. They said to saline, suction, humidify, etc. Also to alternate motrin and tylenol for his fever and children's dimetapp cold and allergy every 4 hours. I'm kind of anti-med unless it's absolutely necessary. The nurse agreed with me and said to at least give it to him in the morning and at night. Despite being sick, P is still in good spirits laughing and smiling!! He's been a lil' more cuddly than usual but is still eating, sleeping, and breastfeeding great. I'll update when we get home this evening!!

possible broken nose & 1st cold

Okay I'll start with the 1st. On our last day of vacation, P was playing inside our suitcase. I was getting ready and Mark was reading the paper. We should have been watching him closer!! P decided he wanted out of the suitcase and crawled off. I should've known b/c the same thing almost happened the previous night. Well, he totally ate the floor face 1st. He cried longer and harder than I have ever heard him. Even momma's milk didn't comfort him. He has carpet burn on his entire nose, underneath his nose, and on his upper lip. He got a fat lip b/c his bottom 2 teeth jabbed into his top lip--there were teeth marks. The bridge of his nose is bruised on both sides. Sunday he had some bloody mucous dried on the side of his face when he awoke from his nap. It doesn't look crooked or anything, but I am worried beyond belief. Our peds office was closed this weekend b/c of the holiday. I will put in a call as soon as they open. I pray it isn't broken!!

P didn't sleep well at all last night. He was very restless and woke up twice--he usually sleeps through the night. The 1st time he fussed for a minute, went back to sleep, and fussed a few minutes later before going back to sleep . Later he woke up and couldn't get settled. This morning when he woke up for the day, I noticed he sounds very congested. He also has dried mucuos around his nose. His voice sounds a little more husky than normal. His nose has been a lil' snotty this morning. I am extremely blessed to say this, but I don't really know what to do for him--he has never had a cold!! I will ask his ped's office, of course, when I call to talk to them about his nose and to reschedule his well baby we missed when our flight got canceled last week.

Pierce's 1st Birthday

On his actual birthday I made a special pancake breakfast. We went to work with Mark while he did a short case and then went to a Greek restaurant for lunch. Pierce loves chicken kabobs and a Greek dessert called milfy. Later that afternoon we took him to a park where he enjoyed the slides and swings. That night we had a small party with just the three of us. He enjoyed his birthday cake quite a bit. He was actually pretty clean about eating it and would just dip his fingers into the icing. It was only after I tried to get him to eat the actual cake portion that he rubbed his hands all over his face. Saturday the 19th we had a larger party, but still kept it small and intimate with close family. We had an excellent time!! He received quite a few books and toys including a tricycle a push/ride toy, a ball popper, a water table, and a pool. Many thanks to you all for the very special birthday wishes!!

Here is a link to the slideshow of pics from his birthday and party. http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Pier...key=uYQbP_efRrg Click on slideshow for the entire picture and caption.

1 year stats

Birth weight and height: 7 pounds 7.8 ounces, 20 inches
One year old weight & height: 17 pounds 4 ounces, 29 3/4 inches
Current Milestones: waving, clapping, pointing, shakes his head yes and no, cruises everywhere, signs "more", "all done", "eat", "milk", "up", and "all done", standing, can say dada, nana, mama, yum yum, and hi
How many teeth, how much hair: 6 teeth, thin and kind of long red/blonde/light brown hair
How has your life changed over the past year: In every amazing way possible!!
Describe your little one's personality: P is extremely easy going and laid back (just like his dad)!! He rarely fusses!! We are so blessed!!

I praise God every moment for my sweet P!! He truly is my pride and joy--my EVERYTHING!!

My 1st Mother's Day

I am definitely spoiled!! Mark is on call this weekend and was gone to the hospital this morning before P and I got up. I awoke to a note laying on top of our laptop saying how much he and P love me, happy mother's day, and I would be spoiled when he got home. Mark came home with a big gorgeous bouqet of flowers, a very sweet card from himself, and an adorable card from Pierce!! Plus, he got me an intrance massage (between swedish and deep tissue) at a local spa!! I have never received anything like this before!! Wow!! Mark really surprised me--he said he's been planning this for a while. Oh, and my sweet in laws sent a bouquet of flowers yesterday with a sweet card too. But ya know what, just like I told Mark and P--my sweet P is the greatest gift of all!!

from Mark and P

from in laws

best gift of all--my sweet P!!


I am so very thankful!!

chicken nugget fans??

P is!! We actually just discovered them. I had a chicken strip salad (yummy) from Chick-fil-a on Saturday for lunch and I gave P a chicken strip. He loves them!! Sunday when we went to brunch we got him some chicken strips and he ate them all over the next few meals!! I promptly made Mark take me to our natural food store and got him some organic ones. He ate 4 with lunch today!! He's definitely a fan!!

waving

P has been waving since about December, but only within the last few weeks has it become consistent. He waves at EVERYTHING!! Two days ago he started saying hi too!! In the morning when I go to get him out of his crib, he waves to me. We walk down the stairs he waves to Mark!! When we go on evening walks, he waves to cars. Yesterday, a neighborhood cat approached us as we were getting ready for our walk. Pierce even waved to the kitty!! When we walk into a store, he waves. He waves when new people enter the room. He is such a friendly babe!!

P's appt

went great!! He is no longer borderline anemic!! His levels were 11.3 nice and high (anything over 10 is good--he was 10.1 and 9.5 at previous checks) so we get to toss the iron!! He weighs 17 pounds 2 ounces naked. She said his slow weight gain since his 6 month well-baby is probably a combination of 3 things: being borderline anemic, increased mobitlity, and heredity. Again, she isn't concerned at all, but it's so hard not to worry!! She's still predicting he will continue to follow his new growth curve. She said he is right on track developmentally--he even demonstrated some skills such as waving, pointing, and shaking his head no!!

I talked to both her and the nurse about the MMR and chicken pox vaccine. Apparently, Texas' law is pretty laid back and you can delay vaccines as long as you want. In fact, you can just sign a waiver for refusal and not vaccine at all. She said she vaxes her babies on schedule, but wouldn't mind at all if I chose to delay the MMR and chicken pox. They typically give these in one combined shot, but they also have them in stock separately. She said if you read the one big study that was done with the vaccine's link to autism, the doctors have retracted their findings. She isn't worried at all, but again supports my decision to possibly delay!! I am so happy to have her support!! I was actually thinking about forgoing the chicken pox vaccine altogether, but DH said that he sees adults in the hospital all the time where chicken pox has reactivated in their bodies as shingles (definitely NOT something that I want!!). Still not quite sure what I am gonna do.........

Finally I talked to her about weaning. I told her that P and I are really enjoying our nursing relationship and he still isn't taking to the sippy. I mean, he'll drink out of it, but just sips here and there--not an entire feed. I asked her about keeping the 1st morning feed and the last feed before bedtime and using milk the rest of the time. She said, actually many moms keep the feeds before bedtime and naptime up until 15 months. She said they encourage these comfort feeds to be weaned by 18 months. Mark said, that's pretty much when P nurses now!! So, now I have Mark and our ped on board for extended nursing!! I am sooooooo happy!!

Thank you all soo much for your thoughts and prayers today!! I appreciate them more than I could ever do justice with words!!

dark spots

I had previously asked P's ped about some dark spots on P's bottom 2 teeth and if they were related to the iron drops he's been taking. She said to just watch them. Well, he's been on iron for 2 1/2 months (1 month non-prescription, 1 month prescription) and the spots seem to be getting darker. Thankfully, Mark has some work connections with a local ped dentist and we saw him at Home Depot yesterday. We told him about our concerns and he looked at P's teeth right there in the parking lot. And yep, it's from the iron. Thankfully, they are only superficial stains and not into the tooth enamel!! I just don't understand, we brush his teeth religiously morning and night. He said to try a washcloth with some baking soda and if that doesn't work he could polish them up for him. So, I called and talked to his ped this morning about this. If his levels are up, we want to take him off the iron supplement (they weren't low before, just on the low side of normal--very common in BF babies). That being said, if they are still on the lower side of normal, we will continue giving him the iron supplement. We just want what is best for our lil' guy!! I just pray and hope his levels are up so we can take him off!! I talked to her about using formula instead of whole milk after his birthday so he can get extra iron from that instead of the drops. She said we could do this, just to make sure and use next step b/c it's specially formulated for toddlers (huh what happened to my baby!!). Fortunately these stains are only temporary!! Please think of my P tomorrow!!

1st Baseball Game

We took Pierce to his 1st MLB game yesterday and our team won!! He did wonderful!! At 1st he was really quiet, not quite sure what to make of all of the people and noise. We weren't sure how he would do sitting in our laps, but he did great!! He snacked on cheerios and even shared some popcorn with his nana.

Waiting in line for tickets:

It was windy--can you tell?

With Nana and a straw she let him play with:


Also decided to get P the FP walk-n-ride. He loves this it!! He immediately knew how to work it!! He also likes to ride on it--he giggles and giggless when you push him!!

animal sounds

Yesterday I was reading a book about baby animals to P. Whenever I come to an animal that makes a noise I can do, I made the noise. After reading about a sheep, I pointed to it and said baaa. As I was turning the page, P said baaaa!! The next animal was a lion and I said roar!! He pointed to it and said roar!! For the rest of the book he pointed at each animal and said roar!!

10 hours

10 hours of straight sleep for us!! Yeah Sweet P!! I am sooooooo very proud of my lil' man!! After 10 hours, he nursed and went back to sleep for 1 1/2 more hours!! Looks like we won't have to wean P from his 3 am feed in a month--he's doing it on his own!!

yum yum

says yum yum

more firsts

waving and shaking head yes within the last few weeks

2nd tooth

2nd tooth

bisque

sweet potato cinnamon bisque

plain yogurt

plain yogurt

stage 3 food

1st stage 3 food--split pea soup

sharing

Sweet P has started sharing things over the past week or so. He'll offer you his toys and food. It really is sooooooo sweet!!

He had sweet potato chicken today for the 1st time today.

lowered crib

Mark was post call today and since P has started pulling up, we lowered his crib. Pierce also started signing milk in context and had diced mango for the 1s time.

new foods

zwieback toast and vegetable turkey

yogurt and mama

Pierce had apple yogurt today for the 1st time. He also said, the long awaited, mama for the 1st time. I started my 1st post partum period today after an 18 month break.

1st meat and water sippy

chicken with wild rice—1st meat and 1st water in a sippy

Pierce's 9 month well baby and 1st finger foods

P had his 9 month well baby this morning and it was greatl!! His ped said he is absolutely PERFECT and right on track developmentally!!
His stats:
Weight: 16 pounds 10 ounces (3-5%)
Length: 27 1/2 inches (50-75%)
Head: 18 inches (75%)
He is long and lean. She isn't worried at all about his weight--she says weight gain slows around this age b/c of increased mobility. She said his head and height are wonderful!! In fact, she said the measurement at this age she is most concerned with is head circumference, and his is perfect!! She gave us the go ahead to introduce stage 3 foods, meat, cheese, yogurt, and finger foods. She recommends holding off on eggs (including yolks) until after his 1st birthday. The toe prick wasn't all that bad. Sweet P didn't even wince!! I am so proud of my brave lil' guy!! His hemaglobin was normal but on the low side of normal. She said this is very typical of BF infants b/c BM doesn't have as much iron in it as iron fortified formula. We are supposed to start giving him poly-vi-sol with iron daily and will recheck in a month. She also gave us the all clear to wean from night time feeds (we usually have 2). Not sure if/when we will start this. So we just got home from the store with a bag full of sweet potato puffs (if he does well with these, we will move onto organic cheerios) and some stage 2 EB dinners with meat and stage 3 EB foods. We'll let him try the puffs today--1st finger food.

grasping and bubbles

Pierce has been using the pincer grasp and can now blow spit bubbles.

1st sign

Pierce produced his 1st sign today--up. He has produced other signs such as all done, more, milk, and eat but they have been random. He will sign up when he wants to picked up (in context).

peek a boo

Plays peek a boo by himself

pulling up and new food

Pierce started pulling up today for the 1st time. He also chewed on some celery for the 1st time

prunes, bananas, rice

prunes, bananas, and rice

army crawling

army crawls forward

Apples and Mangos

apple and mangos

1s tooth and new fruit

Pierce cut his 1st tooth today. He also peach oatmeal and bananas for the 1s time.

tummy bug

P has a bit of a tummy bug.

bananas

bananas today for the 1st time.

walking with support

Pierce can walk while holding our hands.

multi-grain cereal

multi-grain cereal

Apples and Strawberries

apples and strawberries

teething biscuit

Pierce had a teething biscuit in a mesh feeder today for the 1st time.

apples and apricots

apples and apricots for the 1st time

2nd word

nana

apples and blueberries

Apples and blueberries today for the 1st time.

1st word

Pierce spoke his first word today--dada.

Happy New Year!!

Pierce rang in 2007 with his 1st taste of black eyed peas today.