OB Appt update - 30wks 6dys

Just a quick update for all of my wonderful Labor Stalkers! :)

My OB appt went well. I'm 1 day short of 31 weeks, so they did my first internal exam and everything is closed as it should be! That put my mind at ease quite a bit. Dr. J told me that to feel lots of contractions is pretty normal at this stage since it hasn't been that long since I had Max. She said with every pregnancy women tend to be more active because they are running after more kids and she said the contractions are basically our bodies way of reminding us that we are pregnant and to slow down. She said to make sure I listen and obey my bodies reminders. LOL!

Other than that...everything looks good. I'm measuring 30wks...so pretty much on target and I weighed in at 122pds, which is a 20pd total gain for me which is right where I should be and ironically pacing the same as I did with Max.

I asked Dr. J if she knew her on call schedule for January and she said she's on call every Monday and she thinks the weekend of Jan. 20th. She said we'll talk about induction closer to my due date...but that it's typically around 38 1/2 weeks (which would be the wk of Jan 21st). I told her my deadline was January 26th (39 weeks) and she laughed and told me not to worry and that we are on the same page. :)

I go back in about 2 weeks and will then have an ultrasound to check on the low lying placenta. Hopefully it's moved up and out of the way.

No other news to report...I'm off to take a little nap!

Max's Modeling debut

How cute is this little butt??!

It's hard to see...but Max is wearing the new IJ Beanie hat. As you can see...he's not all that thrilled about it! :)

I think it's natural for EVERY mama to think their child is about the cutest baby they've ever seen! Naturally I am one of those modest mamas. :) Anyway, it's very flattering when someone approaches you to say they also think your baby is adorable and needs to be modeling!

Well, this very thing happened to us! Max's pictures are all over our store and a photographer from Lifetouch came in and saw them and Brad just happened to be there. She told him she'd love to shoot him so she gave him her contact information. We thought this was pretty neat...but didn't think much of it. Anyway, I contacted her and she had me send a few photos of Max to her so she could show her marketing department and they loved Max. Lifetouch is well known for doing school pictures and yearbooks, but they also have a division that shoots local advertising campaigns for businesses. Soooooo...Max and I went in Tuesday for a photo shoot for either a Target or JCPenney's Easter campaign that will be launching this April. I got lucky because Maxwell warmed up to her pretty quickly and she was able to capture some sweet smiles from him before he got too comfortable and started investigating everything. Then it was impossible to get him to sit still!

The photographer said it's very hard to find cute kids of color in this market for some reason. She said she can get blonde hair blue eyed babies all day long...but to get a child of diversity is very difficult so she was so excited to see his pictures at the store. She said if Target or JCP's marketing dept like him enough...they might call to get permission to run it nationally (otherwise it's just for local use in their photo studios) and that she was also going to send proofs to the other departments...so we may be getting more phone calls. By the time we left she was already talking about the next campaign we could shoot and she said to make sure I call once Miles arrives so she can shoot all of us! :)

Anyway, I came home and told Brad..."Well, your son just made his first $20!". His modeling payment is $20/hr or pictures...however if we choose the prints...we have to wait until April when the campaign launches.

Watch out male models...you've got some competition coming your way! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had another fabulous Thankgiving at my parents house! This was the 35th year that they hosted...and sadly the last Thankgiving in the house on Portland...but the food was fantastic and it was fun to spend some time w/ family!

This weekend we've been busy busy busy with lots of projects around the house. We organized Max's toys and moved them all into my office and made room in there to set up a little area just for Max.

Then we put up all of our holiday decorations. Max is loving all the lights and "helped" me trim the tree. I say "help" because he really enjoyed throwing the balls around. :)

And today we went and purchased Papa a new desk and a shelving system so that we can get rid of his old tacky stuff. He had been using a bunch of mix and match stuff and it's been driving us both nuts how tacky it looks down the basement...so we went to Ikea and purchased some nice looking things that were within a reasonable price range. Ikea is always so busy...it was definitely an adventure.

Brad has been so GREAT about helping me with Max, our projects, and cleaning around the house this weekend. It's really been great. I think he's realized how uncomfortable I am and he just jumped in and hasn't even asked me if I need help...he's just been doing it. In fact...I don't think I've changed a diaper in 2 whole days...this is a record!! What a fabulous husband I have!! He's even put Max to bed the past 2 nights and I haven't even had to ask...what a lucky girl I am! I might get used to getting spoiled like this...with the long weekend. Monday might come waaaaaay too soon! :)

Well, Max is in bed...I'm almost done getting our holiday boxes and stuff ready to be stored down the basement until we have to pack it all up...and Papa is down the basement working on his office set up...so I think I'll go and check in on him.

We hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and stuffed their bellies with lots of good food and filled their hearts with fabulous family time!

Get me OUTSIDE, Mama!

It was a little chilly outside today, but not too bad and I could tell that Max needed some outdoor stimulation before lunch, so we bundled him up in his new winter play jacket (Grandma Bonnie bought him)...which is an 18mo and just a tad big for him...but he still looked adorable in it!

I was going to get the stroller out of the car, but saw his new wagon (Gma and Gpa Keeler bought him...wow, is this kid spoiled!) sitting in the garage and decided to use that instead.

We had a great time. He thought it was a blast and talked the whole ride. Just smiling away. What a funny little guy he is. It's so funny how the colder weather doesn't seem to bother them one bit...he just loves to be outdoors. We definitely are going to need to invest in a nice little playset outside this year!

He loves to slide now. In fact...Santa needs to find him one for Christmas! Brad has his total gym down the basement and when we go down there, Max loves to get on it (it's got a piece that's at an incline) and "slide" down. Now, that's pretty darn ghetto...but it works! :)

This picture may not show it so well...but if you look close enough you can see Max's little owie from when he face planted outside the other day. He's got a little scratch on his nose and right under his nose...poor thing.

Oh...and if you are wondering about his feet...yes, the shoes are a tad big. Well, a whole size and a 1/2 too big, but he loves to wear these shoes because they light up when he walks! So he's a size 5 1/2 and these shoes are 7's...it's all about comprimise with a toddler! :)

Let it snow!!!

I thought this picture was so funny. He was in the middle of begging for more bacon during breakfast this weekend. :)

We've had a few small flurries here and there, but this was the 1st fluffy big snow that lasted a little while (although it did not accumulate) and Maxwell couldn't wait to get outside and check it out!

Cool...snow!

It's really neat to see things brand new through the eyes of a toddler. The snow flakes we had yesterday were so big and fluffy...Max was just mesmerized by them. This was the 1st opportunity we had to get him outside while it was snowing. And let me just say that even though his cheeks were red, his nose was running up a storm, and his hands were getting chilly...he had a melt down when I brought him back inside! Poor little guy face planted in the cement when we 1st got out there too...he went to get down the stairs and I think he kind of stumbled over the toe of his new boots because he just went face first into the cement out of no where. He's got a nice little scrape on his nose and upper lip...but boys will be boys and I'm sure this will not be the last scrape he gets!

I'm looking forward to some snowman snow...Max is going to love playing out in the snow! I've got his play winter jacket all ready...just need some snowpants and mittons!

Bring on the snow!

Another Busy Body Thursday...

This little boy loves his "Noggin'"...especially Moose and Zee!

My little milk mouth peanut!

I thought about skipping class today since Max has a little bit of a cold (which Mama caught full blown today...oh no!), but decided against it since we'll miss next Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

I'm soooo glad we didn't skip it! Max spent the majority of the parent time in the playroom with the other kids! This time it was ME stalking HIM...wondering what he was doing and what was keeping him so distracted and not attached to my side or on my lap! He did wander in a few times...but he'd show me a toy, or get up on my lap and sit for awhile and then get off and go play again. What a big boy he's getting to be!!

After parent time we wash our hands and have snack and then have some circle time where we sing songs and finish off with Rita reading a book before we all go home. Well, Max is getting used to the routine and knows what's coming up with circle time. We tend to sing the same songs and his favorite is this "Tick Tock...coo coo clock" song. And we were singing one of the other songs and he kept turning to me and saying, "coo coo!". He was ready for the coo coo song. It was really sweet.

Passed my Glucose test!

YEAH! I passed my test with flying colors this time. I scored a 123 and anything over 140 isn't passing. I was worried since I was so close to failing and having to go in for the 3hr test w/ Max.

Baby is doing well and heart rate is good. I saw the nurse today and she told me Miles would be active today because of that yummy (NOT!) sugar drink they make you force down for the test. He's such an active little dude...I haven't noticed much of a difference! :)

My hemoglobin levels are low again. I got a 9 and should be between 13 - 16. With Max around this time I was a 9.2...so very similar. The nurse gave me a bunch of prescription sample iron supplements because the over the counter stuff didn't seem to work with me last time (my levels decreased by my follow up ck with Max).

We talked about pre-term labor and the nurse gave me some information on what to look for. Ironically I was going to talk to her about contractions because last night I was having regular contractions every 15-20 minutes when I was laying in bed watching tv. She said it's more common to notice them when I'm very active, but they should slow down when I'm resting...so I've got to start slowing down, drinking more fluids, and resting as much as I can. As much as I'm ready to meet Miles and be done being pregnant...he needs to cook longer!! Anyways, she said that it's much more common to have contractions early on with subsequent pregnancies...which put my mind at ease some because I don't recall having any early on with Mike or Max. I'm feeling a little less anxious about having contractions now that I know what to look for as being out of the normal and also some things to try to calm them more.

Anyways, I start going in every 2 weeks now. CRAZY!

In other news...Poor Max woke up w/ a little bitty cough and a runny nose yesterday. I'm doing my best to kick it in the butt early on, so hopefully it won't get as bad as his last cold.

I've also figured out a new schedule that seems to be working well for him now that he's down to 1 nap/day. He gets up between 7-8am...we eat breakfast, and then we play, run errands, etc until about 11am. I start fixing his lunch and he eats by 11:30...and then down for a nap by noon. On this schedule he's been napping between 2-3 hours. It seems like if I get him down before noon...he's not overly tired and will therefore sleep for a good solid 3 hours, but if I get him down much later than that...he'll only nap for 2 hours and will sometimes wake up a little bit cranky.

Not much more to report, other than Mike just finished up his 1st Quarter of his Sophmore year and did really well! He got A's and B's and 2 C+'s that were both within a percent or 2 of being B-'s...he's been working really hard and it's paying off for him! I'm very proud!

One of my favorite times of the day...

Some of my favorite times of day are right when Max wakes in the morning and after his naps. He is usually thirsty and in the mornings I get him some milk and after nap it's milk or juice and a snack. Then we sit and cuddle on the couch and watch some Noggin' or PBS.
He is usually in full blown cuddle mode and lots of times he rests his head against me or I just rub his back or head.

This particular day...even Miles got in on some quality cuddle time! Max is really sweet when he touches my belly. He rubs it gently (usually) and says, "OOOoooh" and sometimes he'll lay his head on it.

Busy Bodies - Something's starting to click!

This is the 1st week I didn't take my camera (I seem to be the only mama with a camera every week and was starting to get a complex...lol), but I wish I had.

In class we are supposed to have 1 hour of mama time and the toddlers are in another room, however when we first started this...we had such a large group and many of the kids would cry which created a lot of stress for everyone. So, a few weeks ago they started keeping the door open so the kids could see us and come in for comforting if they needed to.

Well, this actually backfired for Max and I because he did fine w/ the separation as long as he didn't see me (and as long as the kids weren't in total chaos with the crying...which would make him start to cry). So, now since he can see me and knows where I am....he wants to be with me. I try to take him in the play area and play with him and once I think he's distracted enough...I sneak back to the mommy room. But, sure enough...within a minute or two...his little head pops in the door and he's looking around the circle for his mama. :)

Anyways, today....for the 1st time...he actually left my side on his own and wandered into the play area to see bubbles or some toy that looked fun. He'd come back within a few minutes. But, I was so proud of him to see him taking that extra step in trying to become more independant in this class. I can also tell that he's starting to get used to the people in class as well...because he's starting to let go a little and not be so serious. He was actually being silly w/ some of the girls during snack time and seemed to really be enjoying himself with lots of smiles and giggles.

I'm really glad that I went ahead and signed up for the 2nd semester...otherwise today would have been the last class!

My 3 boys...

My "Jordan" look

The 3 boys doing yard work

The boys being silly

I'm really starting to wonder how exactly I am going to be able to add a newborn to our busy lives??! I'm sure this is a thought that most mothers go through and I know we'll manage...but we stay so busy that it almost seems impossible to imagine adding a nursing newborn with constant needs to our hectic days. Don't get me wrong...I am VERY excited for this new thrill and challenge. I can't wait to meet this strong little boy that's been taking residence in my belly for the past 7 months! I just hope that I can juggle it all and still feel like I've accomplished something every day.

Next week is my OB & Glucose test...I'm so hoping that I pass the test. Last time I passed it just by 3 or 4 points...eeks. Other than that...Miles is getting stronger by the day...maybe by the hour. And he's an active little guy...holy cats is he strong! Somenights I wonder if his hand or foot is going to pop through my belly!! :)

Braxton Hicks...yeah!

OH the joys of those fun BH contractions!

I have this feeling that Miles isn't planning on waiting until our due date. Something tells me he'll be making his grand appearance closer to mid January. Our OB will probably enduce me around January 26th, if I haven't gone into full labor on my own by then (that would make 39wks), so I anticipate a January baby anyways...but I just have this gut feeling that he's calling the shots earlier than we are planning.

Anyways, I'm having regular (as regular as BH's get) BH contractions now. Some days none...some days 1 or 2...and some days 4-5 in one evening. They aren't painful at all...but uncomfortable and different enough feeling to notice. Just my body's way of preparing me for the party that will happen in just a few months!! My insurance doesn't cover any L&D costs...ugh. Go figure...they helped to cover some of our IVF meds, but won't pay for any L&D costs. Anyways, is it crazy for me to wonder if I can resist the epidural to cut down on costs??! I mean...I did go through 18 hours of labor (12 of hard labor) with Mike w/ NO DRUGS...so I can do it, right??? Eeeeks...of course...I was 18 and stupid then. I'm thinking once the pain gets so bad I won't care what the cost is...I'll just be begging for the pain relief. Guess we'll see....oh my tummy hurts just thinking about it! :)

We entered the 3rd trimester on Saturday...it's so crazy to be at this point already. It's really gone by so fast!! My belly is growing by the minute at this point and I think I'm slowly turning into a moose. :)

Max's 1st Trick or Treat!

Ok, I'm working on uploading some of the Halloween pictures we took from last night. Do I dare admit to taking about 125?? And actually...Brad was behind the camera most of the night...so I actually have a some photos with Max! Wow! :) Needless to say...I'm not uploading ALL of them as just loading the few that I have is taking quite awhile. Anyway, I'll be working on the slideshow as soon as I can, but I knew that Grandma Donna is probably anxious to hear how her little monkey did last night! :)

We had a GRAND time and although it was chilly...we opted not to go to the mall and hit the neighborhood. As it was...we were running out of time and the neighborhood seemed more festive and fun. I was smart and started doing preliminary carving stuff while Max was napping so that when he got up we could get into the good stuff right away...but it still took quite awhile to get those pumpkins carved. Thankfully I didn't buy a 3rd...as I had thought about for a few days. Max wasn't too sure about getting his hands into the pumpkin or touching the goopy insides (which surprised me because he loves to make such a mess at meal time!) but after awhile...he did get his hands in there a little. He's really funny...sometimes I can't stop him from making a mess and other times he hates to have his hands dirty. (Actually...he's my little cleaning helper...funny how kids pick up so much from watching their parents but he puts things away sometimes before we leave the room and if he sees a drawer or cubbard open...he'll go and shut it! I taught him how to throw his diapers away a few months ago and so sometimes he'll throw away trash for me too.)

We finally got the pumpkins carved and I made chili for dinner...then I had Brad FINALLY put together Max's wagon (that he got from his birthday in JUNE!! lol) so we could take him out in that (which worked perfectly and what a great wagon it is!!). We waited until the last minute to put his costume on because I had his jammies on underneath for extra warmth and I didn't want him to overheat. Then at about 6pm we headed over to Tom & Michelle's to meet the neighbors and take some pictures before our big adventure. The kids could hardly still still long enough to take a few pictures before they were running to get to the 1st house! It was really cute! Max was enjoying the people watching and we actually saw quite a few dogs dressed up too...so he loved that! (Fff Fff - that's his woof woof noise for dogs)

We stayed out about a 1/2 hour or so and his cheeks and fingers were cold...but he was enjoying himself too much to let it bother him. What a little trooper! He, at one point, started taking inventory of his candy and was taking it all out...piece by piece and putting it into his wagon. And then he'd see a piece that looked interesting enough to try to sneak in his mouth (wrapper and all) but Mama's always got a good eye on this monkey and he didn't get too far. He didn't seem to mind though...I guess if I let him have candy prior to this, he would have known to put up more of a fight. Last night he did try his first little sweet tarts and enjoyed them! Mooooorrre...Moooorre!

When we got home he was in such a funny mood. He was loopy tired from it being past bedtime...a little wired from all the excitement and activity and maybe had a little sugar high?? But, he was laughing and acting so silly. Mike's friend, Jessi, came over to help him pass out candy and he was just flirting away with her. It was really cute.

All in all...it was a really fun Halloween. For some reason Halloween has always been one of my favorite "holidays". I enjoy carving our pumpkins and seeing all the rug rats in their costumes...and being able to take a little one out again after so many years off was really fun. It's hard to believe next year there will be 2 little guys in that wagon!! I can't wait!

Hang tight...I'll get the big Halloween slideshow up as soon as I can!

Edit 11/3/07: Ok, I think I figured out how to make a Picasa slideshow...they aren't as fancy as photobucket's are...but much easier to upload! Here is a short version of our Halloween day/night! Enjoy!