Funny faces of Jo plus an update on the little things

We've been pleasantly busy over here.

My back pain has all but left me. Woo hoo! Seriously though, the combination of chiropractic visits and the baby stretching out and moving around more has me feeling great and I didn't think I'd be feeling this good until after baby girl made her appearance. These next eight weeks may not be so bad afterall.

We moved Josie back to her crib. Each sleep session (nap/bedtime) got worse and worse until she wasn't even sleeping or staying near her bed let alone in it. I think the freedom was too much and she was a bit overwhelmed, because as soon as we put her back in her crib (now lowered to the lowest level) she slept great and didn't fight it even a little. She still sleeps (I say that lightly) in a toddler bed at Grandma's, but mostly that nap time is spent walking around and playing which is not great for her general mood during the rest of the day. Girl needs her sleep but just won't let herself fall asleep with that much freedom. I really hope that improves... its tough on all of us. But thankfully, she is able to catch up from her lack of sleep those days fairly well. 

I went through and "put away" Josie's summer clothes. I couldn't get it together enough to truly put it away, so it's all sitting in a laundry basket in her room with easy viewing and grabbing access in case I panic and need to revert to summer clothes. It's hard to put away all of these sweet sundresses knowing that they may not get worn by my kids again! Remember, baby girl #2 will be this age in the winter, so she will need appropriate clothing and sundresses is notquiteappropriate for winter in this frozen tundra.

I also took out all of Josie's 0-3 month clothes and figured out what we needed for baby girl #2 since not all of it is seasonally appropriate at this age either. Mostly we have a ton of short sleeved onesies and pj's. I'm fine with her wearing short sleeves in Nov/Dec/Jan as long as she also gets some pants but let me tell you. It's hard to find pants sold without the onesie with it! I started with Amazon.com and got nowhere, so I switched over to trusty Target and of course they had just what I needed. I'm planning on ordering at least 6 pairs of pants in various shades to match what we already have all for just around $23. Fabulous. Thank you, Target, for always being there for me. 

I pulled out the Fall decorations this last weekend and oh is my house grand right now. Everything that I pulled out was just candy to my eyes and once it was all up, I was eager to add more to it. I cruised around the local thrift store and was able to find a table cloth, a few hanging leaves (like the string of them?) and a few more decorative things to hang up. Question though: what else can I use to decorate besides pumpkins and leaves? It seems that's as creative as I can get. What else is there?

My pumpkin spice creamer is pretty wonderful. I'd change a few things since it's kind of weak in strength and more milky than anything, but it is great and I'm experimenting adding more of this and that to make it better. Oh, you don't care about my creamer experiments? Come on, what is more exciting than that?

Another little blog update, I added a signature to my posts down below. Like it?  I feel like it's kind of close to my true handwriting even. Gotta keep it real you know.

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Baby #2 Update

How far along: 31 weeks

How big is baby: Pineapple, Average size: 15.2-16.7 inches, 2.5-3.8 lb

Weight gain/loss: I gained about 2 more lbs since my last appointment putting me right at 25 lbs for total weight gain.

Maternity clothes: Most definitely!

Stretch marks: No new ones.

Sleep: When I'm in my bed at home, I sleep pretty great, just waking up to go to the bathroom once. When I'm not at home? MISERABLE. I love my king size bed! My hubby would agree.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been loving cereal this week and I can't get enough for whatever reason. I'm also loving ice water.

Exercise: Doing my Pilates stretches and chasing after Josie all.the.time.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: There has been an explosion of movement this week. There are parts of the day where she's so active I have to stop what I am doing and reposition, just to avoid the discomfort from her legs in my ribs or stomach or liver. I'm thinking that soon I will be able see her foot and grab it once in a while too. I love that part.

The belly: Getting BIG.

What I'm loving: I can start to picture how different life will be as the weeks go by and am starting to get my mind ready to unpack all the baby stuff. It seems overwhelming, but I'm also excited to do it.

What I miss: Caffeine, not being super full after eating a normal amount, moving around without pain

Symptoms: This week I really started feeling the underbelly muscle pain. Those stretches I've been doing are so very important now more than ever.

The nursery: Nothing's changed, but I will need to make it more baby friendly and not just Josie friendly soon.

What's different/the same this time: She's in a different position for sure. Thankfully she hasn't stretched out from bladder to ribs like Josie did but there is still plenty of time for that.

Best moment of the week: 

Last appointment details: I decided to go with a midwife for delivery and I will meet her on Oct 5th. I'm nervous about it, but excited too. My chiropractor said that once she drops down, the pressure on my back will be relieved and I shouldn't have so much back pain. Can't wait for that!

Next appointment: Two weeks from yesterday, last one with my OBGYN before starting with the midwife!

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Nose dive

Last week as I was waking up, I heard a huge thump followed by a pause and then a loud scream. I ran to Josie's room to see what had happened although I kind of already had my suspicions. You see, not too long ago I walked in to find Josie hanging halfway out of her crib. I grabbed her just in time and she never had a clue that she was about to fall. I've been paranoid ever since, and just had a feeling that she would eventually fall out for real. Unfortunately, that did happen, and she hit her nose on the way. 

I was terrified that she had broken it but thankfully it just appeared to be a surface wound. Now we're struggling with the toddler bed that was in the room at the time but not being used. 

The problem is that this girl is not quite ready for a big girl bed. She rolls everywhere and falls out all the time. Thankfully it is only about a foot from the floor and it jars her awake without causing any injury. So what do we do now? Do we try to cage her in so she can't fall out in her sleep? I'm not worried about her getting up when she's awake. She's fine with that, but when she is sleeping it's a free for all with limbs everywhere.

Last night, I checked on her before we went to bed and she was sleeping on the floor. Just laying there, sound asleep. I picked her up and put her back in bed, but I know she fell out/got out numerous times and didn't sleep that great when she really was sleeping. 

Naptimes? That's another story. The girl knows that it's not bedtime. She knows the difference. At this point, the only way I can be sure she sleeps at all is if I stay in her room until she is completely asleep. I'm not ok with this! What happens when Baby #2 is here? I cannot just hang out with her for a half hour before every single nap. I'm really at a loss here. Any ideas? 

When I leave, she screams, gets up, and cries by the door. I've tried to wait it out but she gets hysterical and doesn't return to bed. It's a vicious cycle of this with me putting her back to bed over and over again until I just sit on the floor with her until she's asleep. I don't want to put her back in her crib now that we've put in the time to switch beds either. I could use some help or suggestions...

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