Kelly in NC

Doctor’s Appointment: Things continue to go normally with this pregnancy. All of my measurements were right on target. I have gained about 30 pounds so far with this baby- which is very similar to my last pregnancy. I got permission to lay off the iron supplements as long as I promised to eat green leafy vegetables and meat! Yipee! The baby’s heart rate was at 135 beats per minute. My next appointment will be in two weeks and I will meet with one of the other doctors in the practice. After that appointment, I will start seeing the doctor every week. It definitely feels as if I am in the home stretch and with the end of the school year lurking near, I know it will pass in a flash.

Baby Development: At almost 33 weeks, our little boy most likely weighs over 4 lbs. and has passed the 17-inch mark. He’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. In the next month and half he will go through a growth spurt, increasing in weight by about a half pound a week and gaining a third to half of his final birth weight. His skin is now soft and smooth. He has toenails, fingernails, and real hair. His skeleton is hardening and he can now turn his head from side to side.

How I feel: The sciatica issues have not resurfaced in the past three weeks- thank goodness- and neither have the terrible calf cramps. I have overall been sleeping well at night- despite having to get up at least once to use the bathroom. The frequent need to urinate has finally begun- mostly during the day when I am upright and the baby is pressing on my bladder. At work, it seems as if I am in the restroom every hour and half. The line down the middle of my stomach (linea negra) has again shown up with this pregnancy. Tim and I felt the baby’s hiccups for the first time and I continue to be amazed at how much this kid moves. He continues to get stronger and he often surprises me with a jab of his elbow or foot. I predict that this baby is going to be bigger than Grayson, as I feel as if he is already running out of room. He is finally large enough that I can encourage him to move at almost anytime by applying pressure to my belly. Speaking of my belly, it is finally big enough that I feel as if it walks in the room before me. I did break down and purchase a few sleeveless tops to get me through the next 6 weeks of work. I have been lucky enough up until now to get by on all the clothes that people (Jill, Kate, Julie, and Corrine) loaned me. (Thanks everyone!) However, with this pregnancy my boobs have gotten much bigger than before and most of their summer tops will no longer accommodate my pregnant body- at least not in an appropriate for middle school kids kind of a way! With only 7 weeks left to go, I have begun to feel the need to make sure I have everything ready for the birth of the new baby. I began the process of decorating a new room for Grayson so he will be moved out of the nursery before his little brother arrives. I have bought a box of diapers and wipes (whew- it’s amazing that I had already forgotten how expensive swaddlers can be!), a new outfit for the day he comes home from the hospital, and I have begun to unpack all the tiny clothes that Grayson once fit into. I can’t believe how close my due date is and am starting to feel a little bit anxious about delivery.

Grayson,
How is it possible that three years have passed since the day you made your late entrance into my life and changed my world forever? It seems like only a small time ago that I held you in my arms for the first time and thought that your white, shriveled fingers were the most beautiful things I had ever seen! Of course, now I know that is not the case. Because in the past 1,096 days I have been blessed with seeing your face light up with your impish grin on numerous occasions. That smile to me is the most remarkable sight and the reason I try everyday to be a good mom to you. I can remember my excitement when I saw your first toothless smile, but even then I had no idea how much better my life would become because you were a part of it. Without a doubt this year has been my favorite yet. Yes, gone are the days when you loved me unconditionally. Gone are the unlimited moments when I could snuggle with you on my own demand. But instead those tender moments have been replaced with an independent little boy who knows just how to melt my heart and brighten my day. You have grown so funny in the past year and I often look forward to your next funny story that I can tell others. The most recent funny story was when we were eating breakfast yesterday and I asked you to not touch me with your sticky, syrupy hands. You thought this was funny and immediately stuck out both arms in an attempt to hug me and said, “But Mama- I LOVE you!” Now how was I suppose to respond to that?
This year, you have really expanded your language skills. You now use words like “actually”, “cool”, “awesome”, and “really” and will use adjectives to describe anything you are talking about. You have gone from using two word sentences last year to telling entire stories. You love to talk and often compete with your daddy at the dinner table to control the conversation. You will proudly proclaim “It’s my turn to talk” when you think that Daddy has taken up too much of the dinner conversation. When we agree that it is your turn, you will often start talking gibberish and laugh, thinking that you are the funniest person alive. Usually Daddy and I agree! Anything to see that smile, right? You have learned a number of opposite words- like big/small, tall/short, happy/sad, good/bad, yummy/yucky, etc. and you enjoy using these words to tell things apart. You have also learned how to pick out things that match and like to play games using those skills or select a shirt for Daddy that matches your own. Your love for books has grown and you often request that same book over and over again- using each reading as an opportunity to memorize the words on each page. Your favorite books this year have been “That’s Good, That’s Bad”, “See & Find Thomas”, ‘Trucks”, and “Jack and the Bean Stalk”. You finally began singing songs by yourself this year. You do not love to sing- but do it occasionally, more frequently in the morning than later in the day. Your favorite songs to sing are ‘Twinkle Little Star”, “Ba Ba Black Sheep”, and the “ABCs”. You know lots of other songs, but those are three that you will sing spontaneously. But just because you do not love to sing, doesn’t mean that you do not like to listen to music. You have now begun to request that Daddy play the Drum Song (Pearl Jam, of course) when you are in the truck together and you still let me sing you songs at bed time. You most frequently request some songs that I completely make up like the “Back Hoe Song (who went to work), or the “fire alarm” song, but you still love the oldies and goodies like “Grayson, Grayson” or “You are my Sunshine” and “Take me out to the ball game”. Now of course, Daddy and I would not be doing our jobs as your parents if we did not teach you the Gator pep song (Boys from Old Florida), which I have also turned into a frequent night time lullaby.
Your physical skills have also increased in the past 365 days. You have learned how to do somersaults, walk backwards, climb a tree, kick a ball, hit a ball on a tee, and manage the stairs all by yourself… most of the time. I mean you did have your first fall down the stairs about a week ago. Of course you were fine..a little shaken up, but no injuries. And to be honest, it may have been one of the best things to happen to you, since you are now much more careful and now take the time to hold onto the banister. You have mastered most playground equipment and love to climb ladders- usually indicating that you are a fireman when doing so. Most recently you have begun working on balancing on top of objects and find it hilarious when you accidently fall down. At your birthday party (which we celebrated a few weeks ago) you finally got over your fear of inflatable bouncers and I am hoping that your fear of swimming which began last summer will also disappear. You continue to love sports and this year added a new one- fishing- to your repertoire.
Finally, you have proven in the past year that you really are not a baby any longer. As if all the verbal and physical skills were not proof enough, you have really spent the last year attempting to sever all the ties between being a baby and becoming a “big boy”. At the beginning of year three you officially gave up you paci- with no fuss at all! This was a surprise to both me and Daddy, as we had been dreading the night of no more paci for months. Then in January you decided that you wanted to use the potty and within two months you were officially potty trained. You wear big boy underwear all day long and have only had two accidents that I am aware of- one of which was not your fault. For the past couple of months you have stayed dry at night (except for on a rare occasion) and so we are now considering wearing underwear to bed too! That hasn’t happened yet, but will definitely be a goal for year four! The other big change was your move from the crib to your “big boy” toddler bed. Daddy and I had been procrastinating on moving you because you had been so good in the crib. You had only tried to climb out once (years ago) and after being scolded, you never tried again. We were afraid of how difficult it might be to keep you in a bed and so we waited and waited until we realized that it was best to move you into the toddler bed before you new baby brother arrived. As is your style, you transitioned beautifully. You were very excited about the “big boy” bed and even now you will stay in your bed and call for us when you wake up. Again, alot of worry on our part for nothing.
Grayson, in most respects, you have been an easy child to raise up to this point. You are a good listener and accept consequences without issue. You are polite and caring. You love to interact with others and have never in your three years met a stranger. You are funny and smart and a good boy in so many ways. While Daddy and I would like to take credit for these skills, we know that most of it has to do with your big heart, your desire to make others happy, and your own independent nature. You are a happy kid with a priceless smile and you have in so many countless ways reminded both me and Daddy of the greater purpose in our lives. Three years ago, we only had dreams of what it would be like to be a parent. But now, because of you, our dreams have been realized and our dreams are so much more than we could have ever imagined. You have made us better people and have given more meaning to our lives than we ever knew was possible. You remind us daily to appreciate the simple things and to notice the world as it passes so quickly around us. Grayson, you truly are a blessing in our lives and I thank God every day for allowing us to be your parents.
Without a doubt, I love you more and more each day!
Happy 3rd Birthday!
Love,
Mama

Yes, my dog must be a miracle dog. FIve weeks after being hit by a UPS truck and being told that he would most likely never walk again, Ozzy has decided to show everyone what he is really made of! A few days ago last week, I watched him stand up on all four legs unassisted and try to take a step. He wasn’t successful with the step- but I was so excited to see his progress. Since then I have been bribing him to stand up and attempt walking by holding a dog biscuit just outside his reach. Within a few days, he successfully took his first unassisted step. Since then we have seen his confidence rise. This morning, we watched in amazement as he picked himself up and took 10 steps out of the sun and into the shade and then laid back down again. We are still hoping that he will regain some strength is the right paw (as he is still not putting much weight on it)- but even if he doesn’t- we are so excited to see that he now has the ability to move himself around. So there you have it! Ozzy the wonder dog!

Lots has happened in the past few weeks and I have been very slack at posting about it all. This may be a long post, but here’s the happenings of the past few weeks;
~Saturday, April 4: We celebrated Grayson’s 3rd Birthday a little early this year with a combined party for him and my niece Ella. My sister Renee and I decided to celebrate their birthdays together so that our family from Florida would only have to drive up once. Their two birthdays are less than 4 weeks apart. So Grayson thinks that he is already 3. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he won’t be three until the 27th. No real harm done- right? Anyhow, the party was lots of fun. The party was held at a local inflatables play center. Surprisingly, Grayson got over his fear of the big inflatables and had a blast going down the big slide and racing Uncle Kevin. Grayson received way too many toys. So many that I actually put most of them in the closet and plan to break them out once the new baby arrives. It’s hard to believe that he is almost three- but hey- I’ll save that for a post in 2 weeks! CLick here to see photos from the party.
~My Mom and sister Jennifer came in town for the weekend of the party. they spent part of the weekend with my sister Renee and part of the weekend here at my house. It was nice having them in town for a few days. I think that their next trip up will be in June.
~This past week was my spring break. I had lots of things on my list to accomplish. Like landscaping. We finally (after building our house 1.5 years ago) got around to landscaping the front yard. The funny part of this story is that we were ready in October, but Tim had to second guess everything on the landscape plan. After months of getting people’s opinions and NOT listening to me, he finally decided 6 months later, to go with our original plan. AHHHH! Yes, it is times like these that I want to strangle him. I guess that technically, I shouldn’t be too upset- I did get my way with the plan design after all. It is amazing the difference that landscaping makes. Thank you GB for helping us with the planting! Oh yeah, one more thing…Tim finally finished making the shutters for our house. Of course, now that we have those up- we are considering putting them on a few of the other windows too. (We originally didn’t think that we would have room for them on the other windows.)
~Another item on my spring break list was decorating Grayson’s new bedroom. After lots of hemming and hawing I finally decided that I should move Grayson to a new bedroom and keep his current room as the nursery. Then I would only need to completely redecorate one room. My goal for the past week was to get the room painted. Since the landscaping took longer than I expected, I didn’t quite meet this goal. I did pick out a color for the walls- inspired by our new IKEA (which is awesome by the way), and I did start the painting. It just isn’t finished yet. I also still need to decide on a bed frame. Lots to do- but technically I have a couple months before it MUST be finished, right?
~Ozzy has started to show more improvement since my last update. Since the weather has warmed up slightly, we have started taking him swimming in my neighbors pool. We were excited to see him completely move his right leg and paw to swim. After a few practice laps, he was even able to swim completely by himself multiple times. Since he began his “swim therapy”, he has now started trying to the use the leg when he is walking. He needs only one person now to assist him in walking (to help support his front half) and he is now able to consistently walk on his back legs. Just this past week, we caught him attempting to stand up completely on his own! He is able to get about 3/4 of the way up by himself before tiring out and sitting back down. Ozzy is also now able to roll himself over- so now more getting up in the middle of the night to flip him. It really seems as if he has turned a corner and I now feel as if I have good reason to hope that he will walk again. Thanks to everyone who has been asking for updates!
~For Easter we went to My S.I.L. Jill’s house for lunch. We feasted on the best food imaginable- ham, turkey, green bean casserole, potato salad, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc. I made the two dishes that always remind me of the holidays growing up- Sweet Potato Souffle and my Maw-Maw’s Hummingbird cake. Delicious! Earlier that morning, Grayson was very excited about the Easter Bunny and got up at 7:15 to see if he had left any prizes. He was very surprised to see a trail of Easter eggs filled with candy that led from his bedroom door right down to his basket. He loved all the gifts the bunny left- from the Play Mobile Go-Carts to the Mack Hauler (from Cars) he enjoyed it all. He ate a breakfast of jelly beans, life savers, and peeps, which TIm and I paid for much later that afternoon. Click here to see my photos from Easter.

Doctor’s Appointment: I went last week for a checkup and an ultrasound. The doctor wanted to do another ultrasound to make sure the placenta had moved away from my cervix. At my last ultrasound, the placenta was low and I was at risk for having Placenta Prevera. Anyhow the most recent ultrasound relieved any fears of that complication. The placenta has moved higher in the uterus- so it should not be of concern for delivery. We did ask the ultrasound tech to make sure the baby really is a boy- and sure enough, we saw his little penis again! The baby didn’t move much during the ultrasound. I guess he decided to take a nap during our little peep show. According to the measurements, our little boy is about 3.5 pounds and seems to be developing normally. His heart rate was at 143 beats per minute. Other highlights of my doctor’s appointment include passing the gestational diabetes screening (yipee!) and having low iron (sob!). I really hate taking an iron supplement. Out next appointment will be at 32 weeks and then we will start seeing the doctor every two weeks.
Baby Development: At 30 weeks, our little boy is about 16 inches long and weighs about 3.5 pounds. He can now blink his eyes (we saw the eye lids during the ultrasound), which now sport eye lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb- although his eyesight is not very keen. He’s also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. The baby’s muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with medical help — if he were to be born now. He is definitely sleeping and waking at regular intervals and is very active now. I can attest to how much stronger he has gotten in the last month, as he now firmly pushes an elbow or foot into my side on a regular basis!
How I Feel: Up until a week and a half ago, I was feeling great with absolutely NO issues. Then the baby decided to start pressing on my sciatic nerve. I did not have this issue when I was pregnant with Grayson, so the pain in my right leg/butt and the inability to walk without intense shooting pain really took me by surprise. I had actually felt the pain about a month ago, but though nothing of it since in passed within 3 minutes. However the sciatic pain I felt about 2 weeks ago lasted a couple of hours. I haven’t had the intense pain again, but I have had some nagging tenderness in the right leg/back. Apparently sciatica is more common in 2nd pregnancies and it could get worse as the baby gets bigger. I am crossing my fingers that this will not be the case for me. The other issue that I have started to encounter are leg cramps in my calves at night. Ouch! I have started stretching my calves before going to bed at night and that seems to have worked. As you might imagine these issues are now starting to affect my sleep. Yikes! The dreaded waking in the night. Maybe some tylenol p.m. would help all these issues! I mean with only 60+ nights left before my due date, I really need all the sleep that I can get!