best laid plans.

do things ever really go as planned?  rarely.

when you work in a school, everyone says you should try to have a march or april baby.  because then you can have the baby on or around your due date...have a nice long maternity leave...then roll right on into summer for a bonus couple of months with the new little one.

with drew...bed rest started on, literally, the last day of school.  she came a month early and i took my six weeks at the start of the school year.  giving me a seventeen week maternity leave with her.  perfect.  almost better than planned!

when we tried for number 2 and learned we were expecting in late march, i thought we really timed it perfectly.  although, in the back of my mind, i knew this one could come early like little miss drew.

i started progesterone shots about halfway through to hopefully prevent any preterm labor this time around.  and, hey...they seem to be working.  what i didn't expect was some unexplained hypertension this time around.

so, here i am...on bed rest, which started at 33 weeks.  and if you do the math, that's roughly (give or take) seven weeks until this baby could potentially come. 

and if you work in a school district, you might know that you don't accrue many sick days...and when you've had two kiddos less than two years apart those sick days deplete real quick.  of course there's always short term disability.  and while that's all good and well, they're only going to pay out as long as i am truly considered "disabled" after this baby actually does arrive...6 weeks.  yuk!  thinking about going back six weeks after this baby comes seriously makes me want to gag.  people do it, i know.  but h.o.w....?

if you ask me...something should change.  six, or even eight weeks is not enough time.  (btw, i do realize fmla covers my bed rest time + the six weeks but that only holds my job.  that doesn't put money in the bank.)

sigh.

i will end my rant for now.  i'm going to get back to doing work from home.  which i don't really have to do, but i won't sleep if i don't do.  ...work that i'm not getting paid to do by my district...but by some insurance company... at 2/3 my salary.

so, be advised.  the best laid plans slip right through your hands.  but we'll get through it
...or at least we plan to.

...

a new nursery.

first...i have to brag for a sec.  drew had a #2 on the potty last night.  i think it was a total fluke paired with perfect timing as she got out of the bath, but we've got the ball rolling and i was soooo excited!  moving along....

                      new baby = new nursery.  kind of.

little miss drew moved on over to a new big girl room, complete with polka dots painted by daddy (that's another story) and plenty of room for play!  although she is still in a crib and shows no signs of being ready to be in a big girl bed!

we love the gender neutral color that was already painted in drew's old room, so it just made sense to give drew her own new girly room and prep her old room for our new arrival.  but i do use the term "prep" lightly.

like with drew, we did not find out the gender of this little one.  and, like with drew, i will be waiting to order bedding until after baby is here.  i have a couple white sheets that will do juuuust fine until i can pick the perfect bedding to suit little one.

the gray rocker/glider will stay.  we've got a mocha colored night stand and dresser and we're waiting on the white crib.  i've pretty much decided on a "modern woodland" themed nursery.  i think the whimsy of it will be so cute for either a boy or a girl ...with, of course, some more feminine touches for a little lady.  jake, the outdoors-man, is totally on bored...obviously.  probably because i've been thinking of ways to tie in a couple sets of antlers he's earned.  his banded duck, however, will not be gracing the walls of this room although he thinks it would make a perfect mobile.  ...no.

here are some inspirations!

...or let HIM sleep...

faux wood letters - a total diy

girl bedding?

boy bedding?

and although jake said he would never paint any sort of accent wall for me again...ever, he's agreed to paint birch trees!  according to the diy blogs i've looked up, it is much easier than polka dots.  ...or at least that's what i'm telling jake.  we may be divorced before this is all said and done.

...

...is this thing on?

you might be adjusting your eyes, considering it's been about 8 months since my last post.

turns out that working full time and trying to give the rest of your attention to your toddler and husband is tricky.  plus, if i pulled out the computer at all in the evening it was to write an IEP, not a blog post.

but.

the tables have turned a bit and i've found myself on bed rest....again.  oh and, i guess if you're just a follower of making.a.menz, as opposed to fam or friends i should say that we're expecting another menz...btw.  woot woot!

this pregnancy had been pretty much identical to my first ...until about 30 weeks.  then, the blood pressure sky rocketed...i started having some pretty iffy contractions...swelling ensued and the baby was breech.  doc put me on one week of bed rest but things improved and i talked cried her into letting me go back to work.  cut to- a week and a half later and the blood pressure was out of control again...which sent me to the hospital...which brings me to where i am today.  my couch.

no other major signs of preeclampsia yet.  just a baby that likes to keep me on (or should i say off) my toes.  so here i am at home.  trying to basically work from home... which, yes, is impossible when you're a therapist.  but i have nightmares of IEP dates, evaluations and data collection.  so, i'm trying to do what i can.  we're still sending miss drew to the sitter (who is a stone's throw away) and it's totally weird to be home without her.  but...orders are orders and i have to keep her little brother or sister cooking a bit longer.

so, before i get my microsoft word back on to make sub plans until the cows come home, i will leave you with this list of differences between a first and second pregnancy.  enjoy.  it's good to be back.*

-pregnancy one: look at my cute little 13 week bump starting to show
-pregnancy two: a bump at 9 weeks?  am i carrying quadruplets?

-pregnancy one: bought crib at 20 weeks
-pregnancy two:  33 weeks- we should probably consider buying something this little human can sleep in

-pregnancy one: washed every bit of baby clothing in dreft.  twice.
-pregnancy two: these newborn clothes passed the sniff test.

-pregnancy one: weekly bump pics on the blog.
-pregnancy two: do not, under any circumstances, take my picture.

-pregnancy one: absolutely no sushi, no lunch meat, no wine, no caffiene.
-pregnancy two: wellllll....

-pregnancy one: car seat installed at 30 weeks by the fire department
-pregnancy two: just throw the pumpkin seat in the trunk and we'll install it as we leave the hospital

-pregnancy one: cocoa butter on the belly every night and twice on sundays
-pregnancy two: who has time to put on lotion?

-pregnancy one: hours of sitting in bed waiting for perfect little baby kicks
-pregnancy two: if i get kicked in the ribs one more time...!

-pregnancy one: bed rest?  this is amazing!  feet up.  dvr.  naps.
-pregnancy two: chasing the toddler who is running with a fork constitutes bed rest, right?

in all seriousness, we are super thrilled to be expecting another little menz.  this little one will get all the love and attention and kisses and snuggles that miss drew got.  (i know how it can feel to be the second born!)  and we'll be ready to go when that time comes.

...just gotta go order that crib.

*i use the term "good to be back" lightly.  i make no promises to be "back" to blogging.  maybe for the remainder of my bed rest days, but there are no guarantees after that!  don't they say two kids is really like 20?

...

she's one.

i'm not going to start this post by saying that i can't believe she's one.  cause everyone thinks that about their one year old.  i'm not going to say how the year absolutely flew by.  cause that's a given.  i won't bore you with the fact that we packed away the bottles and quit formula, cold turkey...which solidified the fact that she's not.  a.  baby.  anymore. 

so, since i won't go there.  i will stick with the regular old post about the world according to drew...month t.w.e.l.v.e.

here she goes...

i weigh 18 lbs even (9th percentile)
i am 28 inches long (17th percentile)
that means i've gained 15 lbs and grown 10 inches in a year!
i have taken a couple steps
and i stand on my own
but crawling is just quicker, right now
i just switched to size 3 diapers
and i wear 3-6 and 6-9 mo clothing
i have a best friend ... gingie, my mermaid
my communication is exploding
i understand bunches of words
i point to everything...
...and say something like, "wassat?"
and i consistently say about 11 words
daddy - dada
night night - nigh nigh
gingie - didi
water - wawa
quack quack - ka ka
monkey sound - ah ah
doggy sound - oo oo
doggy - dah gah
yummy - nom nom
ball - bah
go go go - guh guh guh
book - buh
juuuuust waitin for the perfect time to say "mama"

drew olivia, i know every parent thinks their child hung the moon.  but when i held all 5 tiny pounds of you for the first time, i was certain you did.  every moment is more fun than the next and i am so excited to see you grow.  you may be itsy bitsy but you're a fiery little lady.  and you are everything we hoped for.  we are lucky beyond measure to be your parents.  happy birthday, pickle.

...

gift from a hair dryer

my friend shared this with me.  instant tears.
...if you have a daughter (or a heart, at all)...please read.

so sweet.  why does time fly so quickly?

"comb and dry, comb and dry.  soon i won't be able to do this any more, you say to yourself, knowing that the little straight bob must inevitably yield to grown-up coiffures and ugly curlers.  what will she be like at fouteen?  where will her hair be blowing then?  and sixteen.  and eighteen.  you suppose boys will love to watch her hair blow as you do now.  and some of them will feel it on their faces...and one of them will marry her and her hair will be perfect under that veil.  ...and there will be her hair spread out on his pillow... oh, you hate him a little.  and wonder where he is at this exact moment and whether he'll be good to her.  they will grow old together.  the gold-brown hair will be gray, and you will be gone, and then she will be gone... this very hair that now your fingers smooth.

all the tears of the world swim for a second in your eyes, as you snatch the plug out of the socket suddenly and gather her into your arms burying your face in the warm hair as if you could seal this moment against all time."

Gift from a Hair Dryer - Mary Jean Irion

...go get a tissue.

...

the world according to drew | month 11

for real?  one month away from o n e  y e a r  o l d??

i remember typing these monthly blog posts while she would just sleep all day.  and now, i turned on bubble guppies to get some blogging in.  she's well on her way to toddler-hood.  and while that is soooo exciting, it makes me seriously miss that little snuggle bunny who was just under five lbs when i brought her home from the hospital.  a month early than planned.  but i digress...

what new with little drew?

16.5 -ish lbs. (home scale)
size 2 diapers
i mainly wear 3-6 mo. clothes, but i'm transitioning to some 6-9 mo.
my favorite foods are chicken and mac n cheese
oh, and fruit...which gives me wicked diaper rash
i disregard any food that is green and usually give it to remy
on "accident" ...unless it's cucumber
i've got my two bottom teeth
and i'm working on the two top teeth
i'm showing a liiiiiittle interest in standing on my own
...then i get nervous
i love my red-headed mermaid, gingie
she sleeps with me everynight
i am saying words!!
doggy (dah)...daddy (da), ducky (duh)...night night (nigh), ball (buh)
and when someone says "doggy", i say woo woo
juuuuust workin on "mama"
my favorite toys are balls, books
...and anything small that i can put on the chair and take off the chair
...then put on the chair and take off the chair.  and repeat.

we are well into planning for the big bday bash.  and i'm really trying to n.o.t. go overboard.  one year pics soon... on the verge of walking... summer break for mama.  a visit from my sister and nephew!!!!!  so many things to look forward to! 

plug:  my totally rad friend, audrey, is practically throwing the first bday bash.
i can't wait for you to see her creations!
check out her n e w website here.  you'll love it and her.  i do.

in other news:

she's pushing this toy from grammy everywhere!  so cute!

i had my dedication at church. that's pops on the bottom.

bird watching with papa (my dad).

grammy (my mom) visited from ny.  it was sooooo nice!

 ...

the world according to drew | months 9 and 10

yep.  i've been a terrible blogger.

i let the 9 month post get away from me and then all of the sudden we were at 10 months!

say whaaaaat?

so, i have a 9 month picture but no true post... so we're just going to wrap months 9 and 10 up together in a nice little bloggy package.  so much has been going on!!

according to drew....

i crawl so quickly.
(mommy is beginning to wonder if i won't want to walk because i'm such a good crawler)
i pull up on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
(mommy's legs are probably my fav)
and with that...comes lots of bumps and bruises
...our first of many goose eggs on the forehead!
i babble repeated syllables (dada, mama, yaya, gaga, tata, baba)
and i'm starting to variegate my babbles (mada, gada)
but, of course, my favorite thing to say is "dadaaaaaa"
i know who dada is and when i hear "daddy's home" i look at the door!
mom swears i say "ball" ...aka "bah" with intent
it's fun to shake my head no when someone does it to me
and mommy thinks i'm getting a little 'tude when i have to do something i don't want to
food?....not a huge eater unless it's something i l.o.v.e.
i take 5, 5-6 oz. bottles a day and eat two meals of solids
right now, i will down any fruit but i'm just not too into anything else
what goes in, usually comes right out...unless it's macaroni and cheese!!!
which brings us to my weight...
at my 9 month appointment i was 15 lbs. 5 oz (3rd percentile)
and 26 inches long (7th percentile)
i'm just still petite.
doc says, "you're only as big as your genetic potential"
...well i have a mom who is 5'2" and a dad who is 6'3", so....hmmmm?
i am consistenly wearing size 3-6 month clothes
although that onesie you see in the 10 month pic is a size 3
(mommy couldn't find the other)
we're really hoping all the awesome clothes we were given by a friend fit us for the summer!
what else...?
i have two teeth on the bottom and i'm working on one on top!
favorite things?
i'm loving the dolly my grammy got me (a red-headed mermaid doll that we named Gingie!)
love bath time, my sippy cup, my baby einstein play table, taking balls out of the ball pit, putting things on the living room chair and pretty much anything that i shouldn't play with...
and b o o k s (yay)
lately, i'm on a mommy kick (can't wait for summer!)
...oh! and i took my first plane ride to visit my grammy and aunt loren in NY
i slept like a champ on the way there...
once we got there, and on the flight home....not    so    much.

grammy and me in ny.

me at my 9 month check up before shots!

 

i've had intentions on writing a post to wrap up my BFing journey and weaning, but i can't catch up!  ...maybe this weekend.

...PS i can't believe i am planning a first birthday.  no, really....i can't.
...