Family update

It has been so long since I blogged. It seems like everything is the same and yet so different. Life is going on and on, so it feels like each day is the same but looking back so much has changed. 

1. Miles is changing all the time. He is so smart. He now knows all his letters and the sounds they make (thank you leapfrog!). 

2. Miles can jump and runs everywhere. It seems like something in him has changed because now he loves to ride on dad's shoulders, run and jump on you, play flying, and so much more. He is so active and such a boy. 

3. Carl is busy. His first year as an intern is almost over! Two (or is it three?) more rotations and he'll be officially in his second year. It has been easier than I thought but also harder than I thought. 

4. Carl's rotation during baby time is going to be the hardest one. Thankfully I have family that is willing to help. My mom is coming for at least a week and between my two mothers-in-law visiting, and my stepmom, I should be ok. I hope. 

5. My pregnancy is going well! I can't believe I am already 7 months pregnant. Seems like I have been pregnant my whole life but also that it is getting here so fast! 

6. Baby Logan is huge. He kicks so different from Miles. Miles used to lay in one spot, shifting sometimes but mostly hanging out on the left and kicking one spot on the right. Logan feels like he is a ninja. He somehow manages to kick and punch me everywhere. It feels like he rolls and kicks and punches but I think he is settled into head down postion. 

7. I am getting excited to meet my newest baby. I wonder who he will look like and if he'll be like Miles. Carl and I joke that Logan will be the opposite of Miles- he will look like Carl but be me on the inside. 

8. Miles is so excited for baby Logan. He loves other babies and kisses my belly all the time. He talks to baby Logan and talks about how Logan kicks. It is really sweet. 

9. I am feeling more nervous about the delivery then before, but only because I'm worried for Mlies. I know this labor will be easier and faster, so I'm not worried for me but for my first baby who is super attached to mommy. I'm hoping he does well and is a good boy for his grandparents! 

10. It is almost Easter.... Wow. This year I am hosting my siblings for Easter and I am so excited to have them here! Miles can't wait to play with his cousins and find the Easter eggs. It should be so much fun! 

Aaaannndd... Since it's been so long I'll add 

11. We are going to try to take maternity pictures soon and I'll make sure and post some here. Yea!! 

Echogenic ultrasound

This ultrasound was so different. It reminded me a lot of the ultrasounds I recieved with Miles.

We invited 2 sets of our parents and had a packed room! The policy was that everyone could come back at the start and that even Miles was welcome to hang out while we did the whole scan. 

Seems like it is my lot in life to have every appt be around 45 minutes to an hour late, and this ultrasound was no different. My appointment was at 3:30 and we didn't see the tech until about 4:20. At least this time we waited in an exam room with the whole family, so we got to hang out and chat while we waited. 

Carl and I had decided that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby and our parents were joking that they wanted to know and there were 4 of them, so we were out numbered. We needed to find out and they told the tech that, jokingly, when she asked. 

We got set up and as soon as the probe touched my belly, we saw the baby was sitting with the legs by his/her ears. Effectively my baby was mooning us and telling us that it didn't matter if we wanted to know the sex or not, he/she was going to show us. Carl and I had gone back and forth all weekend about finding out and had decided that if the baby wanted us to know or if the tech slipped and we saw, then it must just be God's will. So, after a quick glimpse, the whole room knew and the tech asked if we wanted her to double check. We said sure (because how could she even finish the scan of the baby and the heart when his/her little bum was on top of everything). 

After all of that, the tech quickly found that we are having another boy! 

It was so fun to have 2 sets of grandparents in the room with us when my baby decided to let us know that, although Miles has been calling my belly baby sister, we now had to make sure he started calling it baby brother. Carl and I are excited. Seems like it would have been nice to have a boy and a girl, but I love knowing that Miles is going to have a friend for life. He will forever have a little brother who he can grow and share all of life with. 

Also, as my mom pointed out, my mom's side of the family doesn't have many boys. Boys are precious and I am the only one so far to have 2 of them. That makes me lucky and that makes this little boy so loved already. 

Our little boy is doing so well and is growing great. His echogenic focus should go away on its own and his heart is pumping blood great. We really have nothing to worry about and are just so glad that he is healthy. 

Miles

Miles has started doing a few things that surprise me. He has always loved to read, but lately he has been bringing me book after book. It's like he can't get enough. I counted and we have over 150 books for him to read and he has read all of them multiple times. 

This brings me to my small story. Yesterday we were playing outside (it was 70 degrees here!) and he saw a piece of brown lint/grass. 

                  Here it is- his "moth"

He saw it and called it a moth. Then he pointed to his mouth and said mouth. I wasn't really sure where he was going with the whole moth in the mouth thing so I told him that we don't eat moths. They are yucky. 

He then went inside and was making a bunch of noise. After a few minutes he came out holding this book. 

We haven't read this book in a few months; although we did read it each night before bed for 3 weeks the last time we did read it. 

He opens to this page:

He tells me moth frog mouth. Num num num.

I was blown away. #1-He actually remembers that we read this book months ago.  #2- he made the connection between the "moth" and that frogs eat them. #3-he knew right where to look to make me understand what he was trying to say. 

He is really starting to grow up. He remembers the books we read and will "read" them to himself later. He is actually very good at recalling specific details of the books. I think he remembers more than most of the second graders I taught. 

He also has found ways to tell me about other connections he has made. Two days ago we ate lunch with Carl and saw smoke coming out of the smoke stacks on the top of the hospital. He said mommy, smoke! And pointed to it. Then he said Mommy, Miles go Grandma Joni's, smoke. He remembered the BIG smoke stacks we saw in Page, AZ. He keeps amazing me with the thigs he remembers. 

Ultrasound

We just had our 20 week ultrasound and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I prayed last night that God would help it to go smoothly and would help to stop my worries and fears. Well, He did.... Just not in the way I was expecting.

Miles went to bed a little late the night before and slept in an extra hour. Now, if you know me well you would know that I am so weird about being late, so an extra hour of not being able to get ready or eat or do normal morning things already gave me stress.....BUT it turned out so well. I drank my juice and water and got ready for the whole "full bladder" thing that the airforce doctors demand for some unseen reason. I got Miles ready and myself ready, made breakfast, and got out of the house in perfect time to meet my mother-in-law outside of the gate and drive to the hospital. 

I think I will quickly mention that I had TONS of stress over all of this. I had to have someone who could sit with Miles while I had the beginning of my ultrasound. And between worrying if my mother-in-law could come (which we didn't even intend her to watch Miles when we invited her... We just wanted her to get the chance to see the baby too) and if Carl would be able to switch patients around so he could come I felt like a crazy woman who wanted to call and invite the whole world just incase no one came.  Then there was the worrying that the whole thing would be rescheduled if my bladder wasn't full enough and we'd have to do it again. It was a super stressful few days before the appointment. I felt so stressed that I wasn't even half as excited for this ultrasound as I should have been. 

Turns out we were perfectly 15 min early, the exact time they tell you to come in at. I felt nervous for the ultrasound but was mostly worried that Miles would be a horrible kid while my mother-in-law watched him. I was worried about him being naughty with no mom or dad around to make him be the quiet, sweet boy he usually is. 

I got to the counter and the behind-the-desk lady said I could go into the small waitingroom back in the radiology department but my son and family had to wait out here. Welcome to mommy stress. I sat Miles down and told him that mommy was going to see pictures of baby brother or sister and that he could play his games with grandma (we had discussed this at least 5 times that morning, so he was mostly used to the idea). He cried while I walked away and although I knew he would be fine and that grandma was more than qualified to handle whatever he did, I still felt a bit of guilt and worry. 

I followed what directions I thought I remembered the desk lady saying and found a "waiting room" that consisted of 6 chairs. The room was smaller than my bathroom. 4 people were sitting, knees almost touching, and another man was standing.... This should have been a sign. I should have seen this as a bad thing and realized how busy they must have been; instead I figured that they must be waiting for x-rays or ct scans (both of which were located next to this waiting room). 

I ended up waiting for an hour.  That was 45 min past my appt time. The whole time I was sitting there I wondered if I followed the wrong directions, if Miles was even behaving or was screaming and being naughty( not that he ever does that, but there is a first time for everything), and if Carl was even going to make this appt since he only had an hour off and 45 min of it was wasted with me not even getting my ultrasound. I was furious, sad, nervous, and so many other emotions. I felt like screaming at someone and at the same time felt like crying for days (yeah, we can chalk those feelings up to pregnancy hormones). 

Eventually I get called back and was informed that 2 techs didn't come to work for some reason and that they were really behind. Thank goodness the tech I had was super nice, so I didn't bite her head off or cry on her shoulder. She brought me in and took a quick picture and then let me use the restroom. Remember me mentioning the whole full bladder thing? Yeah... Waiting an extra 45 min was not a great thing to do to a pregnant woman with a full bladder. 

Baby was a such a trooper. I think the baby slept the whole time and the tech got all the pictures in 20 minutes. When we did the ultrasound for miles, he moved all over... We have one good picture of his profile. He just didn't want to show us the side of his face. This baby held really still and I got to see a bunch of the baby's face, while the tech moved around the wand and found whatever mysterious thing she was searching for. It was sweet. 

The tech finally let the family come back (why the family can't be there the whole time, I'll never understand) and Miles started crying. He seems to do that everytime he sees me after I'm gone. I'm convinced it is to make me feel so guilty I never leave him again. He stops crying after a minute or two and the tech shows us the baby again. Carl sees the baby for a minute and then has to rush upstairs for his next patient (he was already 10 minutes late!). The tech takes that as a sign that we are all finished looking at the baby and wraps up.

My supposed to be 45 minute appointment, filled with great pictures and memories, with my family looking at our little miracle, and Carl and I getting to see our baby for the last time was not any of that. It was short, rushed, and not at all what I wanted. I feel cheated. With the ultrasound of Miles, Carl was in the room the whole time and we got to be in awe of the little baby I was growing. We had a long time to just bask in glow of seeing our baby move, suck his thumb, and kick. It was amazing. It felt like we were seeing a miracle in real time. This ultrasound felt like the tech was late and hurried and us seeing the baby wasn't even a consideration. The tech was there to take the pictures of the baby's heart, head, organs, and to measure my fluid. It wasn't about seeing my miracle. It was about hurrying to get the pictures taken so the next patient could be brought in. 

I feel cheated. 

After our appointment was finished, Miles and I waited for Carl to finish his late appointment and we all ate lunch. I came home, uploaded the pictures the tech gave me to my computer, and felt so tired. After all the stress and worry, it was over and now I got to play the waiting game to hear from my doc how my baby was doing. 

I didn't have to wait long. 

Here are two pics that the tech took of little peanut: 

My doctor called that evening and said that our baby was growing well. Baby Bryce was doing good.............. But this baby has an echogenic focus. Just like Miles. My doctor started to explain about it, but I told him we had already been through this with Miles and I didn't have any questions. 

I guess we now get another ultrasound with a specialist and I get to set up and worry and stress all over again. Let's hope this next ultrasound goes better. 

20 weeks

I feel like I was so much better at blogging before Miles got this big. Last pregnancy was easy to blog about because I didn't have a toddler running around.

This pregnancy is going well so far. Seems like all the weird pregnancy symptoms are coming earlier this time. I have heartburn already and have it almost every night. With miles there were trigger foods but this time it isn't a certain food, just food in general that gives me heartburn. My hips have already started aching too. Seems like this didn't happen until the third trimester with the last one. 

We have our sizing ultrasound in two days and I am so excited to see baby again. We have the option to see if we are having a boy or girl and I can't decide if I want to know or not. I think it would be great to have it be a surprise but it would also be nice to know and prepare for one or the other. Oh well... I have a feeling we will stick with letting it be a surprise. 

I can't believe I am already half way done with my pregnancy. Seems like it just started and now I am half way there. 

I think about this baby often. I wonder what is going to change and how. I wonder how Miles will do and hope him and this baby will be best friends. I wonder how the next year will go and how it will be with 2 kids and I wonder what this baby looks like. If this baby will take after me or Carl. Miles was such an easy baby, it makes me hope this baby will be too. 

Miles is such a great little guy. He has started saying excuse me and bless you. It is so sweet. He is such a cute boy and just says and does things that make me laugh. This morning he woke up and asked for carrots for breakfast. It was so out of the ordinary for him, but he liked it and ate it all. I am reminded often of how much I love him and how thankful I am for his sweet spirit. 

I can't wait to see what the next few months have to bring and what changes are coming. 

Pregnancy post

This pregnancy has felt so different from Miles. It makes Carl think we are having a girl, but I'm not so easily convinced. I am really not sure what we are having... Seems like I go back and forth often.

This time around LOVE pickles. Love them. Eat at least 2-5 every day. They are just so crunchy and tart and yummy. I remember lovig bananas last time but this time it's pickles. I don't loke them in weird things, like ice cream, but they make for a good accompaniment to sandwiches and most lunches. 

I also seem to have gotten heatburn earlier this time. I remember getting it from very specific thigs last time- cake, frosting, hot sauce, and a few others. This time I got it from pizza. We had pizza the other day and when I ate some for lunch I had heart burn for a few hours. I am worried that it is only going to get worse. 

I feel this baby a lot more too.. Not really kicking, more just shifting and moving in general. I can touch my stomach and feel where the baby is laying. It is a weird feeling. I can feel my 6 in baby just hanging out in there. I can touch him or her whenever I want to. It is cool. 

Other than that, my pregnancy is great and I finally feel like my normal self again. I don't have to eat all the time and I don't feel sick if I don't eat right away. I sleep good and don't need a nap. It is great. 

We have our 20 week ultrasound in 2 weeks and I am super excited to get to see our baby again. 

Me at 18 weeks

A few Miles firsts

I managed to capture 2 more of his firsts. 

While visiting my mom, Miles got his first icecream cone. 

He did so good eating it. He licked the icecream and ate the cone and it wasn't until he got to the bottom that he had trouble. We were in the car and he tipped up the cone... And... Plop. Out came the icecream all over him while the cone stayed in his hand. He cried, but it was so cute. He was so sad that it was over. 

Another first was his first movie. We took him to see Frozen. He got his own little popcorn and drink and had so much fun. He loved the previews and eating his snacks. He made it about an hour in and then was super bored and played his kindle for the last bit. I had a feeling it would happen that way... He doesn't even sit still with movies at home. We all had fun though and the movie was super cute.