Things I've learned from both pregnancies

Missed me? ;)

Honestly, I feel terrible for not documenting this pregnancy much. But frankly, there's not a whole lot to really document. Everything has been pretty smooth sailing other than some pregnancy induced RLS and some heartburn. Other than that, it's been pretty uneventful (not that I'm complaining!).

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Brad has started a new side job/hobby that's bringing in a bit of extra cash, and I've been working like a crazy woman with photography gigs. Not to the point where I'm overdoing it, but definitely enough to keep me busy.

Anyway, in an effort to document something... and to empty out my brain a bit... I thought I'd list out some things I've learned from both my pregnancies so far. Yeah, some people don't like lists, but whatever. The school nerd in me, who actually enjoyed outlining papers, prefers a list sometimes.

Things I Learned from Two Pregnancies:

1. Each pregnancy (and subsequently, kid) is different. If I'd decided whether or not to have more kids solely based on my pregnancy experience with Noah? Yeah, he'd probably be an only child. I gained a ghastly amount of weight with him (at the end, it was over 60 lbs). So far, I think I'm around 25 lbs with this one... and I'm 7 months. So normal weight gain, minimal swelling, and still have energy (despite not sleeping well sometimes).

2. Throw out the scale. That bathroom demon was actually gone before I got pregnant this time around. We have a new scale, but I refuse to step on it. I remember how depressed I got watching the numbers go up when pregnant with Noah, and I would beat myself up for not keeping my weight under control. This time, I only see my weight if I decide to look down at the OB office. Otherwise, I figure they'll let me know if they're worried. As long as I'm feeling good, eating well, and staying as active as I can with a growing belly? There's not much else I can control.

3. Be prepared. And by this, I don't mean it's imperative that the nursery be perfect by D-Day. I mean, get your necessary crap together. Buy a nursing bra (didn't do that with Noah, and it sucked). If you want a cute "going home" outfit for the baby, figure it out before you hit that 40 week mark. Do your research on breastfeeding if you want to give it a go. It didn't work well for me with Noah, and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was so sick during and after delivery. My blood pressure was dangerously high for a good 2-3 weeks after delivery. I also didn't know what I should be eating, drinking, wearing, etc. The lactation consultant at the hospital was terrible. So yeah, I'm giving it another go. If it doesn't work out again, I refuse to panic or beat myself up about it. But I do feel like I'm better informed/prepared this time around.

4. This may make me a shallow person, but it's really important to me to feel pretty (or at least almost human). I swear maternity clothes make me look a good 15-20 lbs heavier than I actually am. I'm wearing a lot of light, open blouses with regular tank tops underneath (just in a larger size). I could live in  my maxi skirts, and I only have like two pair of maternity pants I'm willing to wear. At the hospital, I'm also refusing to feel so frumptastic. Last time... again with the sick excuse... I was stuck in that awful hospital gown for 3 days before they finally unhooked me from all the machines and let me take a shower. I felt so terrible, I didn't care what I looked like. I mean, I sort of did, but figured it was a lost cause. I used the hospital soap, wore oversized sweats, and went home wearing the hospital "underwear"... if you've used them, you know that's a very loose term. This time around, I'm buying myself some travel sized Bath and Body Works stuff to take with me. I'll still take maternity clothes, but the cute/comfy stuff. All of this may make me shallow, but honestly, the littlest things make such a difference for my mood. Even if I just smell nice, I instantly feel so much better.

5. Other kids keep you from gaining a ton of weight. I swear I'm so busy with Noah that I'll have days where I know I probably didn't eat enough calories. Of course, I'll also have days where I would love nothing more than to completely raid the Krispy Kreme and steal all their glazed doughnuts. Because Brad has been so busy with work related stuff, getting decent workouts in with Noah has been tough. But I'll get on the trampoline with him and walk around in circles. It's a great leg workout, and there's no risk of falling since it has a net around it. Plus Noah doesn't care if I'm not actually jumping. He's just happy I'm there.

6. Having another of the same gender has allowed me to shop for more fun stuff. :) I think everyone and their mother gave me onesies at Noah's baby showers. Nothing fancy, just your basic Carters type stuff. So that's covered. Now I get to shop for adorable outfits that frankly serve zero purpose other than just looking cute.

7. It's fun to keep the baby's name a secret. We told people what we're having, but we've decided to hold off on sharing the name. I love hearing all of the guesses. Brad's coworkers are starting to place bets on it. lol.

8. Labor isn't any less scary this time around. Even though I'm excited to meet him, there's still that looming, "I have to do that again..." Yes, I have a better idea of what to expect, which helps. The good part is that, since this is my second, people aren't telling me their horror stories this time around.

9. Having an awesome support system is... well, awesome. Our buddy Chase will be staying at our house with Noah, with some of my family coming in to help him during the day. After I come home, my parents have already agreed to take Noah out for me once a week. My dad has already claimed Tuesday evenings. lol. This way, Noah gets out of the house, and I get some one-on-one bonding time with the new little guy. And since I'm homeschooling, this will most likely continue. We're making this a family affair... everyone gets to contribute to his education, even if it's little things like writing words in the sandbox at my dad's or my mom taking him to the local kids' museum.

10. It is what it is. I'm refusing to stress. Noah's birth (actually, just Noah in general) taught me that things don't always go according to plan. In the end, as long as I have a healthy baby boy to hold, I'm good. ;)

Pregnancy details

It's definitely true that the second pregnancy seems to go by faster than the first. Noah keeps me pretty preoccupied, not to mention all the fall photography sessions I had, then there was Christmas... frankly, if it weren't for the nausea and the waist in my jeans getting tighter, there's a chance I'd forgot to do things like take my prenatals and drink more water. I also didn't see my OB until I was 10 weeks. She's incredibly popular here, so her schedule combined with mine and Brad's crazy schedule kind of put us behind a bit. I was super nervous by the time I finally got around to that appointment. I seriously prayed every day for this baby's health (and mine), and every time I got worried, God would give me a little reassurance with some kind of obvious pregnancy symptom. I've never been so relieved to feel so terrible. lol

The first trimester was different this time than with Noah in that I felt sick more. With Noah, I was mostly just exhausted all of the time. I was also starving. I would arrive to most of my photography sessions feeling awful, eat a granola bar, and then put on a brave face. Once I got distracted, it wasn't so bad.

As for finding out, we had actually kind of "thrown caution to the wind" since the summer. I was actually beginning to wonder if something might be wrong, considering how fast we got pregnant with Noah, then last year with the miscarriage. But I love God's sense of humor.

I met with a couple of girlfriends one night for dinner back in October. No real reason, just as an excuse to get out and have some girl time. I remember feeling a little sick on the way there, but I didn't equate it to morning sickness. Sometimes I get queasy as a PMS symptom (weird, right?), so I just assumed it was that. I was fine the rest of the night, especially after we starting catching up. Anyway, one of the girls is in the process of adoption. They have three healthy babies naturally already, but adoption has been on their hearts for a long time. The other has four kids, all under the age of 5 (and she's seriously the sweetest, most patient mom I've ever met... the woman should be wearing a cape). So we were obviously talking about families and kids and all that. Well, I'm sure God was totally grinning as I told them how I'd been concerned about not getting pregnant yet. Because little did I know, I was already. Ah, irony.

A couple weeks later, I had an engagement session. Brad came along with me to help, and I told him how I'd felt sick the whole time driving there. We decided to pick up a pregnancy test on the way home. Once we got back, I went ahead and took it. And 5 minutes later, all that morning sickness was confirmed. Our buddy Chase had stayed with Noah while we were gone, so he was there when we found out as well, so that was kind of fun. And he did a great job keeping it a secret. :)

The next people we told were Noah's therapists, mostly because I'm a terrible liar and knew they'd know something was up. I used the "I don't feel well" only once on his OT, and she immediately thought I might be pregnant. Women are too perceptive. haha.

We finally told my dad and stepmom privately on Thanksgiving. I originally wanted to wait until Christmas like I did with my mom, but again... I'm a terrible liar. I felt terrible and knew they would notice I didn't eat much. Who doesn't want to eat on Thanksgiving?? I was able to avoid my mom easily, which sounds terrible. But she was super busy working (she's a freelance sign language interpreter) and doing typical holiday stuff.

My belly starting showing a lot earlier this time around, which I'd heard is normal. So here's me at 13 weeks:

As of today, I'm officially 16 weeks. I've been feeling better, still nauseous sometimes, but it's mostly subsided. I've also gotten lightheaded a few times... one time almost blacking out. I kind of move quick anyway, so I'm trying to slow down. The good news is my blood pressure is obviously normal/low (I was pre-eclamptic with Noah, so yay for that).

I'm doing my best this time around to be as healthy as possible. I've been eating salads every day for the last couple of weeks (once I felt like eating something besides bread again). And more red meat than normal. I actually don't eat much red meat at all... like twice a month maybe. But in an effort to increase my iron (I'm always low), I decided to increase my red meat and dark leafy green intake. Iron supplements tear up my stomach (even the "gentle" kind), so I'd rather stick to the regular sources if possible. My goal is to exercise 3x a week. I'm sticking to walking or yoga to play it safe. But like I said, I move quick naturally, so my fast walk? Most people have to jog to keep up with me. Drives Brad crazy when we're out places like the mall. lol

People keep rooting for me to have a girl this time (of course), but I keep telling them I'm happy with whatever. And it's not a lie. I really am so happy to just have a happy baby. Yes, a girl would be fun, but boys are fun too. So we'll see in a couple of weeks!!

Noah update

I really can't even begin to tell you guys how amazing Noah has been doing lately. And this has a little to do with my blog quietness. He's just so BUSY. He wants attention 95% of the day, and honestly, after trying so long to get him interested in being social? I don't mind one bit. He doesn't just want me around. He wants to play games with me, jump on the trampoline, give me kisses, have me tickle him, sing songs... it's just so amazing.

 

(he thinks it's hilarious when we take turns spitting water out at each other)

His vocabulary is taking off like crazy. He can now tell me what he wants regularly. Earlier tonight, he looked at me and asked for, "Cheese"... enunciated perfectly. He's making correct associations. Pictures aren't always necessary. I can say, "Okay, we have to go bye-bye", and he will respond with, "Shoes on!" While shopping at Target, he will clearly ask for "cookies", "cwackers", "apple", "Na-na", or my personal favorite "gweeps" (grapes).
He's now pretending to go potty. He'll sit on the potty, with his clothes on, and say "Potty". Needless to say, I think it's time. We're heading to Lowes soon to get one of those fancy dual toilet topper things, because he's too big for both of the potties we've bought already.

If he wants me to jump with him, he signs jump. He can say slide, swing, and outside. He can tell me if he wants to watch "George", "Tos" (Thomas), or "Tiguh" (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood).
He does a TON of scripting, which is where he recites favorite clips from shows he watches. Sometimes it takes me a little while to figure out what he's reciting, which is kind of fun. :)

One of his favorite phrases is "Oh no, makin' a mess!" Wonder where he got that from?? (<-- sarcasm font).

Seriously, I'm not even sure I can remember everything he says. Words are just flying out of his mouth now. And so much credit goes to his speech therapist we've had since June. She's tough on him, but so awesome. I tell her all of the time that I know she doesn't always get to hear how much he says when we're with her (because she's making him talk vs him offering it up on his own), but that all of her hard work is showing up at home.

Speaking of his therapists....

He made them cry Tuesday.
Like tears streaming down their faces crying. I had told them a few times how he could sing and sign "Jesus Loves Me", and they finally got to see it. His OT felt it the most I think though, because she's been with him for over a year now.
She saw him when he barely acknowledged our existence. She was with him when he didn't even respond to his name. She knew him when his vocabulary was less than 10 words. So as he sat in front of me, concentrating very hard on following the signs and attempting to enunciate every word, she just couldn't hold it back.

He's come so very far in such a short amount of time.

And then she proclaimed for the second time in two weeks that she's convinced I will be a speech therapist or OT one day. haha. I just told her that the only reason anything I try ends up working is because he's mine. I know how he thinks, what makes him laugh, how to motivate him, when to push him, when to hold back. And really, he's such an amazing kid. I always worry people think I want a ton of praise when I brag on Noah. Because really, it's all him. His personality is just so sweet and silly and bubbly. I would love to live in his world for a day. It seems like a very happy place. :)

In the pictures above, you can see his OT on the horse swing with him. That woman, you guys. She has been a Godsend. She has worked for the past year on building his muscle tone, increasing awareness of his own body, and other sensory issues he's had. And because of her?

This is happening...

I know it probably doesn't look like a big deal, but I've been waiting for the big kid swing transition for a long time. He just didn't have enough core strength to hold himself steady. Now I can walk away, and he stays put, totally happy to hang on.

He had his (very late) well check on Monday. He's 48.8 lbs and 3'7" tall. So 97th percentile in weight, and 94th in height. Told y'all he's a big kid.

We saw a new pediatrician, and he is absolutely amazing. Amazing doesn't begin to describe it honestly. He was able to get a "high five" from Noah when he walked in. He's patient and calm, and I know Noah senses that. I don't feel rushed when I ask him questions. When I explained how the last ped labeled Noah as obese, his eyes got wide and he responded calmly, "That seems a bit presumptuous to label him at age 3". He went on and on about how, yes, Noah is a bigger kid. But that he's clearly healthy. We'll obviously need to watch what his weight does as time goes on, but as of right now, he's fine. He explained how kids on the spectrum are almost never in the middle... they're usually on the skinny side or heavy side. That for reasons doctors aren't fully aware of yet, their metabolisms are different and could be because of any number of things (including being low tone). When talking nutrition, he recommended going to Earth fare. Earth fare!! And to see if I can get him to eat tofu since he doesn't like meat.

And then as we were talking, he said words that were music to my ears. He said the words, "He seems pretty high functioning to me."
Noah's diagnosis says he's severe. I'm pretty sure it was so he could qualify for more services through the state, however hearing a medical professional confirm what you already hope in your heart is true? Cue happy dance.

Socially, he's doing so so well. He loves attention. We've gone to a couple of bigger parties lately, where other kids were there, and he was right in the middle of the action the whole time. At one point, his friend Jackson was wanting to ride in this little push car thing. Noah wanted to ride it too, but I told him he had to wait, that it was Jackson's turn. So he proceeded to push Jackson all around the yard instead. I couldn't believe it. No tantrum. Nothing. Just "okay, then I'll just push him"...

I'll stop here, because I know I'm just gushing at this point.
I guess we're just in a really good place right now, and it has me all kinds of excited at the moment. Had you asked me last year if this is where I thought we'd be? I would've been doubtful. I honestly had no idea what to expect. So yeah, I can barely contain myself when I get going on everything Noah has been doing lately.

I just love this kid so much I could squish him.

Operation Hot Mama

Brad and I are on a serious health kick right now. Actually, he's kicking my tail at it. When we were younger, he used to be a huge fitness buff. A total gym rat. He had almost zero body fat, and his biceps were like the size of Noah's head. Then he started having serious health issues... strokes, heart surgery, etc. After his surgery, he wasn't even allowed to pick up a gallon of milk. Mentally, it messed him up, to the point where he was afraid to work out (I can't blame him).

This last stay at the hospital snapped him back into reality. He went on the opposite end, where he's refusing all sugar, giving up energy drinks, downing protein powder, and working out every night. If he wants something sweet, he has a tablespoon of honey. It's kind of embarrassing when your husband has better willpower than you do.

So he's back to training me. I've come to realize that while cardio is good for my heart, it really doesn't do a darn thing when it comes to shedding pounds (for me). I have to do strength training. I even looked it up for my specific body type. It may do a tiny bit, but when I was doing heavy cardio with P90x after I had Noah? The scale didn't budge. For the last week or so, we've been working out together almost every night. And I can already see a difference. It's subtle, but it's there. Last week, I was helping a friend of mine on a bridal session, and we had to move a couch for one of the shots. I ended up shocking myself. I picked it up and carried it around like it was no big thing. I told y'all... I've got the strength, just no tone. So yeah. Hoping to get there soon. I've gotten my diet in check, and we're working on getting back to being that hot couple we were once upon a time.

 

 

On a related note... I've been going through this phase lately where I get waves of feeling sick. Like headaches, nausea, etc. Except that I'm not actually sick. As far as I know, I'm not pregnant, and even if I were, I'd only be a few days. So none of that stuff should've even kicked in yet.

 

Honestly, I think it's diet related. I've heard that people who cut out the processed crap and eat better tend to go through this phase where they feel sick. It's called the "paleo flu" for those who do paleo. I'm guessing that's it. Or it could be all in my head. Either way, I'm not going to consult Dr. Google. He's scary as H-E-doublehockeystick.



sharing time... a recipe and some apps

Last night, Noah asked for a banana, but he proceeded to only eat a bite of it. I decided, rather than eating yet another leftover banana, I'd use it in a smoothie. I remembered seeing a paleo chocolate banana smoothie recipe on pinterest, so I googled it. I saw several different versions, so I decided to pick them apart and come up with my own. It was soooooo good! I froze them into popsicles, and Noah definitely approves.

Paleo Chocolate-Banana Smoothie:
- 1 large ripe banana
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 avocado (for added creaminess and fiber)
- about 1 cup coconut milk
- handful of ice cubes (less if you thought ahead and have frozen bananas)

Cover the ingredients with vanilla almond milk and blend. Pour leftovers into popsicle molds if you like. :)

***

Noah has several apps that are really awesome, both for kids on the spectrum and typical kids. He's learned his letters (maybe not in alphabetical order, but beggars can't be choosers...), numbers, words, etc through this apps. So in case you're looking for some new ones to add to your phone/ipad, here are some of our favorites...

Favorite apps:

 



1. Injini - by far, one of the best apps we've found. Noah loves it. It specializes in teaching fine motor skills, cause and effect understanding, spatial awareness, memory, differentiation, response inhibition, visual processing, etc (all great for kids with ASD). It also deals with pre-math skills, letters (including combining letters to make sounds such as "ch"), and responsibility (feeding the farm animals and flowers, for example, so they grow).

They have a light version that you can download for free, but after over a month of him playing it, we went ahead and got him the full version which is like $30, I think. Obviously, it's not cheap, but it was totally worth the investment. His therapists have seen it and are shocked when they watch how far he's come just through using this one app. Available for iPad only.

 

2. Spelling Puzzles by TouchAutism.com - This one is pretty obvious and doesn't need much elaboration, but it really is awesome. They have a free version, then each new set of puzzles is $1.99, so not bad at all. They introduce new ones every so often, the latest one being "Feelings and Emotions" (which again, GREAT for kids on the spectrum). This app is the one mainly responsible for teaching Noah his letters. Before? They didn't make any sense to him. Numbers make sense to him, because you're actually counting something. Letters were abstract to him... until this app. They now serve a purpose... making words! If he can't decide which letter to pick, I'll tell him and he immediately goes for that letter.

While it was designed for kids with ASD, it's obviously really useful for any early learners working on their letters and spelling. It's also great for fine motor skills. They also offer a free app per month to educators. Only available on the iPad.



3. Match It Up by myfirstapp.com - This one is a simple matching game that Noah mastered pretty quickly. There's a free version or you can download the full version for $2.99 (again, not bad). They have a LOT more apps to choose from that I need to look through. But Noah really struggles with complex matching games, so this one was perfect for him. They also have a "Teacher's Pack" with 15 of them, designed for teachers and therapists (including a progress chart). Available for both iPad and iPhones.

 



4. Bright Start - I love this app. When Noah first starting using it several months ago (before Christmas), he would get frustrated trying to trace the letters. Now? He zips through them, no problem at all. It really has helped his fine motor skills, and it helps him learn his letters and numbers (in proper order, haha). There is a free version or you can download the full version for $1.99. Available on both iPad and iPhones.

 

5. Lazoo - Okay, this one is just fun. :) But it does promote creativity, imagination, and fine motor skills. There are a few different apps to choose from, but they're all adorable and a lot of fun. Available for iPad only for $1.99.

the ER trip

I wrote just a blip a couple weeks ago about Brad and his hospital stay. Like you probably missed it, the blip was so small.

So, here's a quick recap of what actually went down.

My husband already has a congenital heart defect. He had open heart surgery as a baby, and in college, he had some serious health stuff going on (including TIA's... aka, mini strokes). Since then, he's done really well. However, he's hyper aware of anything that feels different. A few weeks ago, he mentioned that his heartbeat felt "off". We decided to just monitor it and if it didn't change or got worse, then he'd go get checked out. He was already up for his yearly cardiologist appointment anyway.
A couple days later, he called me early in the morning and said he was going to the ER. He felt lightheaded, and his heartbeat was definitely doing something weird. Unfortunately, he got stuck in traffic, so he took the safe route and called for an ambulance to meet him.

Thankfully, we have the best neighbors. She and her daughter came over at the last minute to stay with Noah while I ran off to the ER downtown. I know I was a total mess... trying to remember everything they'd need to know for Noah, while wondering what was going on with my husband. I've made a mental note to write out instructions for Noah to hang on the fridge.

At the hospital, they did all their routine tests for him and decided to keep him for the night, just to be safe. Noah and I came back with his parents later on. Noah promptly kicked Brad out of his bed so he could play on it. Such a stinker. Noah could see Brad in the mirror, and spontaneously announced, "You see Daddy". Clear as day. Silver lining, people. Always a silver lining.

Brad told me yesterday that when we had all left, he sat in his bed and thought about us. What would happen to Noah and I if something really was wrong with him? And he resolved to live better. Take better care of himself. Ever since, he's changed his diet, works out every day, and has even ordered us a fancy home gym. Seriously, it's like having my high school Brad back. We keep running out of cups, because of his protein shakes. ha.

I'm so incredibly proud of him.
And I can honestly say it makes such a huge difference when you have a partner to go through this whole getting healthy thing with. It's so much easier to say no to Chick-fil-a when your husband says, "Nope, we don't need it." A month ago? He would've gone to Chick-fil-a "as a surprise" and brought me back something fried and fattening. And then I would've HAD to eat it, otherwise I'd feel like an ungrateful wife, which in turn would make me feel like I gained 10 lbs in 10 minutes. So yeah, it definitely helps when everyone in the house is eating better.

As for his heart, the doctors didn't seem to be too worried. Brad thinks it was most likely due to extra stress going on at work. He still has his regular appointment in a month, so they'll be checking him again. But since he's changed his diet and started exercising, he claims it hasn't happened again. So yay for that!