The bet is set

So, my very supportive husband says that I am not going to have Maisie till next weekend. I have told him that I am going to go into labor today and have her by tomorrow.

So who do you think will be right? I am sure that it will happen some where in the middle, but a girl can hope, right?

But either way, we will wait till she is ready. Just like with Calan, we are pretty set on let things happen naturally without any help from either drugs or our doctor. As long as she is OK and there is no medical reason to get things started, we will wait the full 42 weeks, which seems to be something out of the norm when it comes to my doctor's office which I am just amazed by.

Yesterday I had my 39 week doctor appointment and he asked me how I was doing and I said fine. He laughed on the hottest day of the summer and in a room where the air conditioning was not working, I was the first pregnant lady he had seen today that did not use the word miserable. I wasn't miserable. Yes hot, but not miserable. I'd be hot and uncomfortable pregnant or not. As he was measuring and checking Maisie and I, he asked just how long I wanted to go meaning do I want to be induced if I go past a certain time. I said I want to go as long as I can, which is 42 weeks. Again, he smiled and laughed. Again, I must be something of an anomaly because most women he sees want to end when they can.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about the old wives' tales and trying to help her along naturally, but so far nothing has worked and probably won't. It didn't with Calan. He arrived 7 days past my due date. And don't get me wrong, I really do not want to go 42 weeks, but I am not sending eviction to Maisie till she is ready to come out on her own.

I think that it is hard for women knowing an estimated due date. It seems as soon as you get close to that date, well-meaning family and friends start to watch and wait and wonder why the baby isn't here yet and you are just waiting and wishing and hoping that the any day could be the day. Besides being uncomfortable and tired of being pregnant yourself, you have the world (or what feels like the whole world) wanting to know when the baby will be here. There is a lot of pressure to meet the due-date deadline.

However, the fact is that specific date is just an estimate and most babies are not born on or before that date. But going past that date means the days come to a stand still. Each day a woman goes past her due date is another day not knowing any target of when the baby will get here. It is excruciating.

So, I understand the pressure and the want to have a baby ASAP. But, we will wait. I am not a very patient woman, but I will wait. Even if it means losing my bet with my husband, I will wait. It doesn't mean I'm not praying that she gets here and that I get to hold her soon. I just know that it will happen when it happens and it is truly God's greatest gift that truly is worth waiting for.

Life update!

I know, I know .... I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get a new blog up. Life has been moving along and I just have not made time to sit down and write everything out. So here is hopefully a quick version of everything that is going on this summer.

I am still pregnant. My estimated due date is this Saturday, July 23rd. Can you believe it is already here? I know I can't. Though I am ready to meet our little girl, I am definitely having worries about being a mom of two young children. Calan was born 7 days past my due date, so the doctors do not think that I will go early this time either. Since I am now 2 days away, I too have finally except that I will be pregnant for a little while longer.

All and all the pregnancy is still going well. I have very little to complain about even with this extreme heat wave that is hitting our country right now. I am only waking up once in the middle of the night. I am pretty mobile still; however, picking up Calan's toys is getting a little more difficult. I have just a little bit of swelling that has increased just a little this past week or so with the hot temperatures, but I still have ankle bones and veins, which last time, I didn't have any as of 36 weeks.

I am hoping she comes soon, but I know that she will come when she is ready. We are ready for her arrival. There isn't really anything left to do before she gets here.

Calan is doing great. He is almost 13 months and doing great on a lot of our pre-toddler goals. He started walking this past week. He takes about 5 or 6 steps in a row before losing balance and deciding that crawling might be a little faster, but he is getting there. I had really hoped he would be walking by a year, but 13 months isn't too bad either.

He says dog, dad, mom. Dog was his first word, so you know where Bob and I stand in his priorities. He basically only says mom when he wants food, so you know where I stand in his life. He babbles all the time. I swear once he really does learn how to talk, he isn't going to stop.

Sleeping is going pretty well. We have our good days and our bad days. "Crib parties" have snuck back into nap times. Some days he goes right down, while others he can be there for an hour or longer just babbling and walking around his crib. I think walking has him too excited to sleep. I have heard that sometimes when babies are working on a new skill or developmental stage, sleeping can go awry and I would say that is exactly what is happening.

He is eating everything. I swear most meals he eats more than I do. He is basically on all table foods and hand-feeding himself everything. I would say bananas are still his favorite food. But he really does eat basically everything. He is eating his vegetables better now as well. He doesn't like things plain. There definitely needs to be some flavor, but I wouldn't like plain broccoli either, so I really can't blame him.

Calan moved really quickly and easily to whole milk. However, we are still working on using his sippy cups. I have gotten rid of his morning bottles and he gets milk and water in sippy cups instead. Not quite ready to rid of the afternoon bottles yet. I just want to make sure that he is still getting enough milk from the sippy cups before I drop those bottles. He is getting close though, but I think that now that we are so close to Maisie's arrival, we will wait to drop the last two once she is here.

Playing with and loving his water table.

This summer Calan has loved playing in the water. From swimming to his water table, he loves being wet. Before the weather got insanely hot, Calan and I were also enjoying walks and visits to the zoo, but we will have to wait for it to cool down a little before we can do some more.

Not sure if Calan is ready for Maisie's arrival. I really can't explain to a 13-month-old what is going on, but hopefully the transition goes pretty smoothly. I am starting to have some sad feelings that soon it just won't be Calan and I anymore. I am sure that I would be having these emotions no matter how close they were  in age. I just don't know what it will be like and I hope that he is OK. He loves being around people and playing, so I think that he really will adapt well. But you never know.

Hopefully, my next post will come sooner rather than later and include a birth announcement. I can't wait for this journey to begin. I am sure that I will have lots of things to blog about once she is here and how we handle everything, so stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Calan!

I am officially the mother of a 1-year-old. Calan turned 1 on Friday. It was a crazy, amazing weekend. We celebrated Sunday with family and friends. To say that it was a wonderful weekend is an understatement.

The ever important dessert table.

Candy, cupcakes, cookies, and Calan's special cake.

Calan's train cake matched the train on his shirt.

I made the banner out of paper and ribbon.

Ready for presents. 

Happy little guy. 

He knew just what to do with that cake. 

Proud parents!

I can't believe that we do this all over again in a month. It has been an amazing year and I am sure next year will be just as amazing.

(I'll post a 12 month update blog when I get a chance to write it, but Calan is doing well on all fronts.)

Starting to get anxious

I am officially starting to get anxious. Both Bob and I are praying for an early arrival. I am just so impatient right now. I am 36 weeks and so ready to meet our little girl. Time is ticking by so slowly.

Calan was 7 days past my estimated due date. Not sure if I can wait that long. I am not in pain. I am not huge or swollen. I can still most everything. I  am still somewhat enjoying being pregnant. I am just so ready to meet her.

It is kind of funny even though I didn't know I was having a boy, I felt like I knew Calan better before he was born. From 34 weeks on with him, I was have non-stress tests twice a week and an ultrasound once a week. I have so many ultrasound pictures of Calan; I don't even know what to do with them all. But with Maisie, I have not seen her since I was 19 weeks pregnant. That seems like ages ago. I knew Calan's approximate weight and how he was positioned and so many other details besides the fact that he was a boy. This time I only know that Maisie is a girl and that she is head down.

Not knowing more is really making impatient. I know that she needs more time to grow, but my patience is running thin. I am anxious and excited and ready (I think).

I love that my husband is my children's father

There are many times since I met my husband 12 years ago that I am so happy that he is in my life. There have been many times when I know that I would not be the person I am today without him. Watching him be a father to our son is definitely one of those moments.

He is so in love with his son and his son is so in love with him. Each morning we get up and I feed Calan his bottle. Bob comes in our family room to say good morning before he hops in the shower, and of course each morning, Calan goes to the gate as Bob closes it and cries a little and calls for him. Yes, Calan gets over it quickly, but as his mother it warms my heart knowing how much our son loves and wants to be with his dad. 

They have their own games and language that I am not a part of. I love that when Bob grunts and grrrrrs to Calan, Calan grunts and grrrrrrrs right back. They call it playing "bear," and Calan just can't get enough of it. 

I am so happy that my husband wants to be and is such an active father. He makes his family a high priority and Calan and I both know it. 

Father's Day was pretty nice around our house. We got Bob a little present and then got him his favorite breakfast. We went to church and heard an amazing Father's Day message. (I highly recommend it for any parent. Here is the link: Kensington Streaming - Kensington Church - 248.786.0600 - 1825 E. Square Lake Road, Troy, Michigan 48085). Then we went swimming and finished out the day with an amazing dinner at my father-in-laws.

I am so happy that Calan and soon Maisie have Bob as their dad and I feel truly blessed that he is my husband.

Stuck in Ground Hog's Day

I am not complaining, but life has really gotten into a rythm. Everything seems pretty predictable right now as we near Calan's first birthday. He is sleeping like a champ, eating like a champ, and Bob and I are enjoying every moment.

Our day starts with Calan making a little noise at 6:30 a.m., but we get out of bed around 6:50. I go and get my smiling little boy who is usually holding on to his blanket standing up waiting for me. He drops his blanket and he and I go cuddle on the couch while he drinks his bottle. He then plays for a little bit while Bob is in the shower and I make breakfast. We all then sit down for breakfast together around 7:40 a.m. Bob then leaves for work, Calan goes and plays in his pack and play, and I clean up from breakfast. At about 8:30, I go and get Calan and change him into clothes for the day, read him a story, and put him down for his morning nap at 9.

Yep, that is our morning, every morning. And I love it.

The rest of the afternoon is just as predictable, but varies with activities and what errands I need to run.

But I can't help but wonder as we have settled so much into a consistent routine how it is all going to change in about 6 weeks. Will we still be able to have breakfast together and enjoy that time together? What time will we be getting up in the morning and will I feel like a slept at all the night before? I know that there will be a new normal and I know that these are all natural concerns, but I can't help but wonder what our new life will be like.

June 2010 vs. June 2011

Is this really June? I was talking with Bob last night and it amazes me how different this June is from last year.

June 2010 was insane. I basically had 3 doctor appointments a week between weekly ultrasounds and doctor visits, as well as 2 non-stress tests a week. Last year, was so warm for so long, I was so swollen by the end of my pregnancy. My ankles were sausages and my pregnancy waddle was in full swing. At this time last year, I was one week away from my estimated due date and I thought there would be no way I would go late. (I delivered at 41 weeks.) Then you add in the fact that my father-in-law had a heart attack and underwent a quadruple bi-pass the week Calan was due. Our lives were busy.

This June seems very less dramatic to say the least. My pregnancy is going just fine. No additional tests needed. I am not swollen yet and I am getting around pretty well. Although I will be honest that it is getting harder and harder to bend down to get toys and what not for Calan. While it was extremely warm the last few days, it is no where how it was last year. The weather has actually been very pregnancy friendly. My father-in-law is doing well and hopefully will not have to Skype with us from a hospital bed when Maisie is born.

This June, I get to enjoy spending time with my son and watching him enjoy Michigan summer for the first time. We are planning his first birthday party for the end of the month. So excited to celebrate with friends and family.

I am loving June 2011. I hope July 2011 is just as great!

Mom doesn't like it, but you must try it

Bob and I aren't picky eaters per se, but there are definite foods that we do not like. Bob hates mayonnaise and mustard. I hate melon (all types including watermelon) and turkey. I try to avoid these foods and a few others because I know that we won't eat them, but I don't want my preferences to limit our children.

We have organic produce delivered to our house each week. And while most of the time, I sub out items that we won't eat, some times (like last week) I forgot to sub out items, so we got what we got, which included a cantaloupe. Yesterday for breakfast, I gave Calan a few pieces of cantaloupe, and he was not having it. Our son is a texture eater, so he doesn't instantly like new foods. It usually takes a few bites before he decides one way or the other. However, I usually have to some what force the extra bites to make sure whether he likes it or not. Well, he did not like it. Since, I don't like it, I can't really blame him, but as his mother, I have to give the new food a fair shot before I concede. 

While I might give up one day, I usually try to figure out if there is a way Calan might like the new food. This morning, I blended the cantaloupe with strawberries and mashed banana and he loved it. I also added the mixture to my plain yogurt and I liked it too. 

Cantaloupe is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium and it also has a high concentration of beta-carotene, which is great for vision and eye development. I am glad that I was able to figure out a way for it to be eaten. I would have hated it if it went bad on my counter top. I blended up the rest of the cantaloupe with strawberries and froze it in ice cube trays to be used through out the summer. 

Busy weekend means tired Monday

It is amazing to me that while I stay home everyday and most of my days are pretty similar, if Bob is gone a lot during the weekend, I am exhausted come Monday. Some how even though I stay home, I look forward to the weekend where I can tag-team some of the parenting duties and we can spend time as a family. When it doesn't happen for various reasons, I am exhausted come Monday.

Even though it was kind of a busy weekend around here, we did blow up a kiddie pool for Calan and he had a blast playing and we tried to avoid getting too wet. Of course just like most kids, his favorite toys I brought out were a kitchen spoon and ladle.

The water was a little cold.

He got use to it though.

It's a rough life for a dog and baby in our household. ;)

Diaper stash washed and ready to go

I will be cloth diapering a 1-year-old and newborn come July. Over the past few months, I have been watching deals and purchasing diapers. I had a pretty decent newborn stash with Calan, so I didn't need too many items for that, but I knew that I needed diapers once Maisie is about 10 pounds.

I love that my drawers are stuffed to the max. I mainly use Smartipants for Calan, but they were never on the half-off sites that I follow, so I ended up stocking up with Oh Katy (Katydid) diapers. They are pocket diapers just like Smartipants, but the insert needs to be pulled out before it is put in the wash. They are also much more colorful than the Smartipants that we have. I can't wait to put Maisie in a dress and showoff her cute fluffy butt. 

Calan's diaper drawer, which is full of Smartipants,
GroBaby (GroVia), Flips, and other miscelleneous diapers.

Maisie's diaper drawer stocked full of Oh Katy (Katydid),
Kissaluv, Lil' Joey's, and prefolds.

The overflow drawer, which has prefolds, fitteds, and some
diapers that will fit Maisie once she is bigger. I also keep a
small stash of disposables for baby-sitters. 

We will set up a diaper station in our room once we set up the pack and play. I obviously do not want to head downstairs to change her diaper in the middle of the night and wake Calan. I will probably use our Kissaluvs upstairs at night. I have 10 of them, so that should last me a couple nights before I would need to do diapers. Plus, they easily stack, so it will be easy to set up a small station upstairs in our room. 

Here is a video of my stash: