Oh, I have a blog?

Okay okay so I have this really annoying friend ::cough::cough:: Lacey ::cough:: who pointed out that I "DO, IN FACT, HAVE A BLOG." Just because I stopped updating does not make it NOT a blog, apparently. And, said friend, who must be totally obsessed with me and my child, wants me to do a particular post. So I will. First, let's get you caught up.

This is what Troy looked like when he was born.

This is what he looks like today. (Well, last week).


















Oh and I'm pregnant AGAIN. 24 weeks. And this is what I look like... hehe just kidding. No mirror selfies, anymore. Nope. It's a new me.  

GROWTH

I have no idea how tall he is but he weighs around 30 pounds. He's not short, not tall. Size 2T pants fit now, but some are starting to get flood-y. 3T's need rolled up at least 2 inches. Not sure if that gets you anywhere.  





SLEEP

Ah, sleep. My biggest and grandest parenting fail. See, 0-6 months were pretty awesome. He started STTN pretty early on, slept right in his crib, no problem. Then he got sick and we brought him into bed with us for a few nights because of the excessive congestion. BIG MISTAKE. Two years later we are still paying for it. But, since paying for it includes loves and snuggles, it isn't all bad. Here's how things work now. I go to bed with Troy, Nick goes to bed in our room. IF I get up after he falls asleep and get in bed with Nick, Troy wakes up in the middle of the night and crawls in bed with both of us. I'm talking every time. 2am-3am, whatever. Nick cannot sleep with Troy because he is a light sleeper and Troy wallers and talks and cries in his sleep. Yes, wallers is a technical sleeping term. Get with it. So, if said scenario plays out, Nick then gets into Troy's bed. The sleep shuffle. Obviously this is not a permanent fix. Obviously he needs to learn to sleep by himself before the baby gets here. Right? Please tell me "yes, Natalie, get with it." Because I obviously need the motivation. He still needs naps. At least an hour and a half. He averages 2 at daycare, 1.5 with me, and 3 with daddy or his paps.  

MILESTONES

Oh did I skip the part where we bought Troy a full sized bed? Yep, he has that. What other milestone? I think he has all his teeth including his 2 year molars. I am not 100% sure, how bad is that? He walks, talks (a lot), climbs, jumps (sort of), and rides his tricycle. Does all the normal "big kid" stuff that makes me want to bust into tears right this second. He is NOT potty trained. He drinks a lot. Juice, water, and milk. So, the frequent amount of pees are exhausting to keep up with and the kid is just not ready. He will poop in the potty 95% of the time. And he will pee if we ask him to. But, once again, need to get motivated and get on top of it.  

FAVORITES

Troy's favorites are 1. Mommy and 2. Milk. I am not trying to brag here but I am his world. He would eat, breath, sleep, his mommy right now. His "happy place" is cuddling with me while drinking his milk. He also likes playing pretend with his cars and peoples, going to Paps house, and being outside. Paps is his #1 buddy. He likes to sing and dance and play "school bus" with me. Which is the world's most annoying game.  

FOODS

I think Troy is probably the typical toddler when it comes to food, with the exception of his obsession with milk. He would drink milk all day and not eat if I would let him. When we do convince him to eat, he likes cheese, mac & cheese, green beans, fruits, and all things sweet. Obviously we try to capitalize on the green beans and fruit interest.  


 FRIENDS AND FAMILY

I already mentioned his Paps. Troy really does take a liking to the men in his life and he has some great ones. He hangs on every word his daddy and Papaw (Nick's dad) say. It's really funny how affectionate he is to me, but how he ignores me completely and he is the complete opposite with them. Relationships are what Troy does best. He has a special relationship with all family members. He shares inside jokes with them and knows how to make them feel special, I think.

He has recently started talking about his friends at school, which I think is awesome. He seems very timid around other kids, scared of being hit or knocked over. But they say he does great at daycare. So, hopefully that is just when he's around me. I think sometimes I bring out the worst in him, because I'm like his security blanket. He has a buddy, Jude, who he gets along great with. If he ever doesn't he will have to get over it, because Jude's mommy is MY BFF. So he will just have to deal. 

Overall, I would describe Troy as gentle, loving, and sensitive. He is my WORLD.

Oh so much to tell you...

So I have been seriously slacking in the blogging department. My first bit of news is... NUG IS A BOY!

Here's the story:So Nick and I convinced ourselves that we were having a girl on the way to my 20 week anatomy scan. We discussed things we'd do with a girl, things we'd teach her, dressing her up, etc. I'm not sure why, but maybe to build ourselves up to be excited about a girl because we knew we both wanted a boy first. We would have been thrilled either way, I can say that with certainty. We got right in to our appointment and when the U/S tech put the wand to my belly, the "goods" were front and center! If we would have not wanted to know it would have been impossible. In fact, as a gut reaction, she pulled the wand back for a moment. But then when she put it back, there they were again! I immediately began crying. I wish I had a picture of Nick's face... this open-mouthed smile/disbelief/shock... absolutely precious. The rest of the scan went perfect. We saw all four chambers of the heart, his little face (he was covering his eye with one of his lil hands!), his big huge feet, and all of his perfect little body.
Afterwards, we were in shock. The plan was to meet the entire family at 6 at my parents house to break the news. Since we had time to kill, we went to the mall with intentions of buying an outfit but couldn't find anything. I accidentally spilled the beans to my mom when I sent her an u/s pic and said HIS little hand was covering his face. So she knew. Next, my aunt Kathy was texting me saying she couldn't come to the big reveal because she had a minor outpatient surgery earlier and had a headache. She guilted me into telling her. Then we got home and my aunt Leigh Ann came over and wanted to walk, well, she talked me into telling her. So now three people know the big "secret." Nick texted me while I was on a walk asking if I'd told Leigh Ann, I lied and said "no" (full intentions of telling him later) and he said "Well, I told Ryan and Tommy" (they are my cousins, Leigh Ann's sons). Okay, so here we are with this big "secret" that half my family now knows.
So our method of reveal was that I put snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails (drawn on construction paper and cut out) in plastic easter eggs. Just in case they didn't get the hint, I also added two peanuts in each. When the moment came and everyone was gathered (Nick's mom, dad, sister along with my mom, dad, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents) I had them open the eggs up at the same time. Everyone starts digging around in the eggs and my grandmother, God love her, yells "NUTS! IT'S A BOY!"
Everyone then went nuts (he he no pun intended) and we all had a great dinner together. Really was an amazing day.

I'll have to post pictures later from home, but I wanted to stop by and tell the good news, even if it is 4 1/2 weeks later! To summarize: We are thrilled, we haven't picked a name yet, nug is kicking me like crazy, and my belly is as big as a men's basketball.

19 Week Update

Well, I noticed at Easter Mass that everyone was staring at my belly, so it must be getting big!
Symptoms: Back hasn't been too bad, but I've been having growing pains! Sharp and intense, sometimes at the top of my belly, sometimes down low. And the heartburn happens at least twice a day.
Movement: Today my little one must have slept in, because I usually feel him/her when I drink my daily pop, but I didn't feel today until 10ish.
Weight Gain: Haven't stepped on the scale!
Exercise: Well, I'm trying. I laid around all day yesterday and feel guilty. But the days before that I went on a walk or bike ride. I guess I'm allowed to have a don't move a muscle day every once in a while.
Baby Names: For a boy, I've been thinking Louis, calling him Louie. I like Sam better though.
Dreams: Last night I dreamt that I was having an affair with Prince William, and spent the night with him the day before his Royal Wedding! It was actually pretty awkward, and he kept morphing into a guy from my high school class. So weird. I am not even following the whole Royal Wedding thing, I'm ready for it to be over!
Other: I have random emotional spells. On Easter, Nick got called in right before our family get-together. I cried 4 times after he left. Why? I'm not sure. But I'll just continue to laugh/cry (yes, I am laughing at myself while crying) randomly, I suppose. It's not too bad, at least I'm not yelling at anyone!

Next week will be the big announcement! Stay tuned! :)

Nursery: Boy & Girl Ideas

So here is my baby girl nursery. I'm inspired by this really pretty paisley fabric (Sweet Nothings' "Paisley Cream"). Plan on making my own bedskirt and curtains and painting a similar mural (the leaves will be bigger and prettier, this was the best I could do with "paint."

And here is the baby boy nursery. Once again, I was inspired by fabric! ("Groovy Guitars" by Micheal Miller) I will make the mobile myself, using fishing line, an embroidery ring, and felt. Same goes for curtains and bed skirt!

So... 8 more days until I find out if I'll be decorating in groovy guitars or pretty paisley! I cannot wait!

18 week update

Here's a pic from Monday (18w0d)

There is no way that child is only 6 inches long! I find myself constantly holding my belly, because I don't want people to think I'm just fat! Nick thinks this is crazy, but I don't care.
So I went to the doctor on Wednesday, I was half tempted to try to sneak into the U/S room and give myself an ultrasound. But I didn't. Heartrate was 161. At 10 weeks it was 180, 14 weeks 168 and 18 weeks 161. Doc says this is perfect. According to the old wives tales, this would mean girl. We'll see!
Symptoms: Heartburn is getting worse. Tums barely puts a dent in it. Luckily it isn't too severe. In the evenings, especially after an active day, my lower back is so sore I can barely walk. It feels like a nerve is pinched. This has been going on since like week 10 it seems.
Movement: Yes. Today I think was my first big kick. It's usually once a day, after my daily caffiene. I love it. It helps me feel "connected."
Weight Gain: Hovering at 11 pounds. Sometimes a pound more, sometimes a pound less.
Exercise: I've been trying. I probably only took one walk this week, but I've kept busy and haven't been laying around much at all. I feel like cleaning out the refrigerator is exercise, isn't it?
Baby Names: Nothing new here!
Dreams: I finally had a little girl dream. I was starting to feel guilty about all the boy dreams. But, the baby was also a kitten half the time. I took her to visit my mom and dad to play with their cat, Cleo, and Cleo attacked her. It was actually very stressful. My dreams are SO Weird! Haha.
Other: I can't think of anything else! Happy Easter!

There's a karate kid in my belly: 17w3d update

Well, I thought I felt the baby kick last week, but this week I'm sure. He/she loves my morning mountain dews! I'm not sure I can describe the kicks, besides someone just lightly flicking me from the inside. It feels like you would think it would feel, basically. Here's my festive bump pic:

It's getting bigger!
Symptoms: Lower back pain still and heartburn galore! Tums are my new best friend.
Movement: Yes. Loving it!
Weight gain: Holding steady at 9 pounds.
Exercise: Went on a big hike on Sunday, it wiped me out! But I've been shooting for cardio 3 or 4 times a week. Now I need to work more on legs and arms, short/bathing suit season is creeping up on me.
Baby Names:Nothing new.
Dreams:I've been having some crazy dreams, so I thought I'd add this category. Last night I dreamt that we had an U/S and it was a boy. We were practically shouting it from the rooftops. That's the 3rd or 4th "boy" dream I've had. The other night I had a dream that I had to have my hand amputated and that Keith Urban was my boyfriend. Totally random. They range from perfectly normal to perfectly weird.
Other: Regular appointment next week. Secretly hoping they decide to do an U/S and I get to find out boy or girl. I guess that's not a secret anymore, eh? But really, only 3 more weeks, it'll fly! I might be getting a new job, which is exciting. My career is looking up, Nick passed his Hessie test yesterday which means he is pretty much for sure graduating nursing school in June... I love that we are going to be in a good financial place to bring a baby into the world. It's a great feeling. Overall I am really enjoying being pregnant and very happy.

16 Weeks!

I thought I would stop in to record a milestone... I think I can feel the baby!

On Sunday (April 2nd), I was in Mass and listening to the gospel reading, when I felt a pretty definite flutter. It wasn't gas, my stomach was otherwise normal. Since then, it's like I can just feel when the baby is active or not. It's not kicks or flutters, it's just somehow I know. When Nick went to do the doppler on me, I pointed to exactly where the baby was and immediately we picked up the heartbeat, thump thump thumping away!

I don't have a pic from week 16, but here's my week 15 pic:


Symptoms: Back still hurting! Other than that I feel fab.
Movement: Yes, I think, see above!
Weight gain: I'm creeping on the 10lb mark... Oh no!
Exercise: So much more! I have been going to gym, going on walks with Nick, have been trying to stay very active. It helps me feel great.
What I miss:I'm over missing beer and wine. I'm starting to really enjoy being pregnant.
Baby Names:Still set on Lela Jane for a girl. For a boy I am liking Casey and Samuel. But I'm not in love with them yet. We will see!
Other: I am so excited to find out if Nug is a boy or girl! Only 4 more weeks. It feels like the pregnancy is flying by. I am super excited to hold and love and take care of this baby. It's just crazy to think in a few short months I will be a mommy to this precious angel. Sorry, my hormones are making me mushy!

As Nick would say, "Peace, love and hairgrease!"