Anxious Brother

I just love how curious and gentle Lucas is when it comes to my belly. He fully comprehends that there's a baby inside and knows that it still has to grow bigger before it can come out! I caught him coloring on his doodle with the little girl I watch and he said "let's draw the baby in mommy's belly!" It was so sweet and absolutely melted my heart!

Yesterday Lucas came over, lifted up my shirt, and covered my belly with his personal blankie. He told me the baby needed to be warm...how could I argue with that?!

On more than on occasion he's lifted up my shirt out of the blue and shoved a stuffed animal next to it. Most often it's "baby moose wants to see the baby!" haha. And he really enjoyed listening to the heartbeat at my last two prenatal visits. He sure made my midwife laugh when he blurted out "I hear it!" Kids and their curiosity :)

I decided to snap a couple photos this evening while he was so intrigued by the belly. Plus, I got to play around with a new photo app instead of doing my school work. I'm so easily distracted!

Who would have imagined a two year old would be so sweet and gentle!

Listening for baby

Of course he had to grab his "doctor scope"

Apparently my belly button is "squishy"

My favorite...pure love!

Terrible Two's

The terrible two's are just that...TERRIBLE! (Well, not at all times. But they have their moments!) I have been awake for a whole 45 minutes this awful Saturday morning and it's a miracle that I have not managed to pull out all of my hair!! (Which, as I just learned in my abnormal psychology class, is called trichotillomania).

Before I break down our disastrous morning let me tell you that Lucas has been quite the little stinker lately. I think he is rebelling against me for his dad working out of town so much and I've really let my emotions get the best of me at times. He has been waking up EVERY night sometime between 1 and 3 and causing nothing but frustration in our house. He comes into my room each time, asks me to cuddle him with his blankies, (which simply means to tuck him back in bed) and we usually do just that. This last week he has continued to get out of bed 10-15 times requesting me to tuck him right back him. He would refuse to stay and would yell "MOM!!" at the top of his lungs as I tried to walk out of the room. Getting nowhere with this, I try to just go back to bed myself but it always leads to a disaster.

A few nights ago it took me over an hour to get him to stop this ridiculous behavior. I finally broke down in tears and he stopped crying instantly. He asked "mommy, what's wrong?" in the most sympathetic little voice. I told him I was so tired and that mommy just really wanted to go back to sleep. His response? "It's ok! Go to your room." WHAT?! I seriously fought him...and I mean fought him...for over an hour and all it took was for me to break into tears? I don't get it. Unfortunately the next night was the same ordeal. This time however, was awful. After me trying to be as patient as I could, I eventually broke and we both proceeded to yell, scream, and cry at each other for nearly 40 minutes. It was awful. I hated that he broke me to that point and felt horrible for not keeping it together, but nothing was working. Daddy's flight was late and he finally walked in the door at 4:00 a.m. Poor guy walked into a war zone and was in absolute shock at what was going down. He said he'd take it from here and he took Lucas back into his room. 10 minutes later he comes to bed. UGH! Why is he so bad for me and so good for his father? It drives me crazy!!

But this is where I broke. Levi said he was almost asleep and then just bursted into tears. He cried and said "mommy is mean to me" and Levi had to reassure him that I loved him and we were both just upset. As he was telling this to me the tears poured down my face. I couldn't believe I let our fight escalate to that point and I felt like the crappiest parent on earth. I know the unruly tantrum went on for almost an hour, but I shouldn't have yelled so much.

So here I am, laying in bed, feeling awful. I couldn't sleep and the only thing I wanted was to go kiss my baby and tell him I loved him. At that very moment I told myself that yelling is not the answer and I was not going to ever let me son feel that way against me, ever again! :(

Fast forward to this morning.

Lucas woke me up right at 7:30 as he does EVERY single morning. This boy is absolute clockwork! He was being so ridiculous and saying "mom, I'm hungry. I want breakfast" over and over again. I said ok, give me just a second and I'll come make you something. "MOM! I WANT PANCAKES!" was repeated nearly 10 times before I could even manage to make it out of my room. So off I go, straight to the kitchen. I start getting his pancakes ready and he yells "NO!! I don't want them!" I kept my mouth shut (even though I was thoroughly annoying at this point already) and asked him to just please eat the pancakes. "NO!! I don't want them!" Now, my yelling, screaming, overly dramatic child throws himself to the ground and continues to yell. I tell him to knock it off, stop crying, and tell me what he wants. He storms off into the living room crying and doesn't answer.

Oh lord. Here we go. I, trying to keep to my new promise, walk into the bathroom to put in my contacts while trying to ignore him. I figure if I don't give him a response then hopefully he'll realize he's getting no where and stop acting like a fool. Right? Wrong.

He comes into the bathroom now yelling "Mom, I want a cereal bar! Open it, open it!" Ok, fine. I ask him to go sit at the table and I'll open it for him. He goes, does what I ask and I follow him. I open it up, hand it to him, and guess what he does? He throws it back at me and yells "I DON'T WANT IT!" Here comes the loud yelling and screaming for no reason followed by his new favorite tantrum act...throwing himself on the floor. I calmly said fine and walked away. Oh, that pissed him off!

He followed me into the living room yelling and I told him to go sit down and eat. He yelled that he need a bib so I said to go and get one...you know where they are. This proceeds to more yelling and crying when he pretends that he can't put it on. He's now yelling "I can't do it! Will you help me?" and acting like a darn fool. He brings me the bib and as I try to put it on him he yanks it off, yells that he doesn't want it and starts screaming again. What in the world is wrong with my child? I let him throw his fit for a few minutes and when he asked me to put the bib on again, I gave it another shot. He screamed "I don't want it" again and ripped it off one last time. At this point, his butt is headed to time out!

He threw a fit with more yelling and screaming, attempted to get down quite a few times and finally calmed down. I told him he could get down as soon as he was done crying and we could try to eat breakfast again. This time around, he decides that he wants muffins. I didn't have it in me to argue so I open up the pack of mini blueberry muffins that he loves so much and set it on his table. This is where things get interesting. He pulls out the first muffin and begins hitting it and squishing it into the table. Not only is he squishing, he has made a fist and is beating this poor muffin into a million little crumbs. I've never seen him act so angry or violent and was almost laughing at the site. But once he was done mutilating the poor thing he started to cry...again. "My muffin is broken! I can't eat it!"


OH MY GOODNESS! I can't handle this child. And why does he only act like this when his dad isn't here to help me? AHHHHHHH!

So, I ignore. At this point I figure I've done all that I can and offered him plenty of food. If he doesn't want to eat, that's on him. I pull out the laptop because I really should be starting my psych paper that's due tomorrow (*sigh*) but I just cannot concentrate at all. So, to blogger I come. I figure the best way to laugh about this situation is to write it down so I can re-read it later.

After I managed to ignore my child's ridiculous behavior for some time I found him eating in what appeared to be a calm and content manner. There was suddenly no more crying, whining, or tantrum throwing. Instead, he was eating in silence! He finished his muffins and then grabbed a towel to clean up his mess. He wiped up his table (all of his own doing) and proceeded into the living room to play with his toys. He has been playing happily for the past 15 minutes...by himself...and you would almost never know how big of a butt he was just acting.

I love my son to death but boy does he know how to get to me! I feel like my patience and tolerance levels are lower than usual and I don't know if that's because I'm pregnant, or because he just knows how to push my buttons. He is a fantastic talker and I think that plays a large role into everything. He back talks like a darn teenager and acts like one half the time. I just told Levi the whole story and he goes..."and you wanted another one?!" Oh goodness...please help me! I pray that this terrible two phase is well and gone before the next one gets here. Otherwise, I may just loose my mind!

Goodbye, 1st trimester!

I've made it! Well, to the second trimester that is :)

Thanks to the lovely placenta that I've created, my baby is now being provided with oxygen, nutrients, and a nice waste disposal system. But best yet, my morning sickness in almost a thing of the past as the hormone levels in my body have finally steadied themselves out! (Big yay!)

Baby is approximately the size of a peach and very much human like in appearance at this point. No more little alien looking creature with a tail! The pancreas has begun secreting insulin and the liver has begun secreting bile. The tiny little kidneys are even practicing their work too! Yep, there's now fetal urine mixing in with the amniotic fluid. Must be tasty, huh? All of babies little teeth have formed and are waiting under the gums to make an appearance some time after birth. (Oh, the dreaded teething...*sigh*) Although my little one only weighs somewhere between 13 and 20 grams, and is only about 3 inches long...it is going to start growing at a rapid 1 inch per week! The vital systems are all fully developed and now the main focus goes into getting this baby bigger. Grow, baby, grow!


I came across this picture recently and was so drawn to it! These are the actual sizes of a fetus from 7-12 weeks...crazy to think my little one is just a tad larger than the biggest one in the photo! And even funnier that I have this big 'ol belly when my baby can fit into the palm of my hand! Although babies heads account for nearly half of their body length at this point, it will decrease to only 1/4 of the body length by birth. Let just pretend that they are all geniuses with gigantic brains :)

The second trimester is the time when most moms feel their best and energy levels return. With that being said, I am definitely gearing up for Hawaii! Besides, if I need a nap, what better place than on the beach under the warm sun while listening to the natural sounds of the ocean?!

17 days and counting!

A successful bath!!!

I don't think I've blogged about our latest toddler struggle, but I'm happy to say that we have FINALLY overcome it! Lucas has been absolutely terrified to bathe for the last two months or so and it really started taking a toll on Levi and I. This wasn't one of those stubborn toddler moments, but a terrified fear of the tub. I have absolutely no idea how this came about and have been trying for some time to ease him back into one of his previously favorite past times, but it turned out to be much harder than I even anticipated.

Bathing quickly became a family struggle and one that I couldn't attempt on my own. Many nights Levi and I had to team up and force a quick bath on our child because no matter how fun and exciting we tried to make it, he would scream and shake in horror. I know something must have happened to cause this, but I cannot pin point what it was. He would shake uncontrollably and scream as if he were literally being murdered. I was without energy for weeks and couldn't even attempt this poor feat on my own. Needless to say, my child went without a bath for days on end. I would break down in tears and couldn't handle seeing him this way, so I gave up more often than not.

Fast forward a bit and Grandma came to the rescue! I'd been discussing this over with my mom and no matter what I would do, nothing seemed to work. I went out to buy some fun bath items, but nothing seemed to help. (And not to mention the selection was very limited here for some reason). My mom went to target and got nearly every fun bath item she could find and packaged Lucas up a box! He loves receiving packages and was very excited when this one arrived. We pulled everything out and I kept explaining that it was all for his fun bath that we were going to take tonight. He took very fondly to the boat, and spend nearly the entire day playing with it. We set all of the other items in a pile on the kitchen table and I told him we would use them that evening.

After Lucas woke from nap I turned on some cartoons to occupy him while I finished up a quick assignment. The universe must have been working with me this day because it just so happened that Yo Gabba Gabba's episode on bathing had just started! The entire episode was about germs and the importance of washing your hands and bathing. There was also a big segment on washing your hair with special soap called "shampoo". I watched it with him and we talked about everything that was happening, and I pointed out how much fun everyone was having in their baths. After it was over he told me that he needed to wash his hair wish shampoo because it was dirty! Ahh, thank heaven my child is so attentive and has such a great level of comprehension :)

That evening after we had eaten dinner I mentioned to Lucas that we need to get ready for our bath. As expected, he shouted back that he didn't want to, but then without me noticing he made his way into the kitchen. Levi yelled for me to hurry up and follow him NOW because he just grabbed all his bath stuff and went into the bathroom. SERIOUSLY?! Was this really happening?!

We both ran behind him and quickly closed the bathroom door behind us. He started to panic for a bit when he realized he was trapped in there, but we continued on. I started the water, added bubbles, and surprisingly was able to persuade him in (with his boat of course!) I then asked him what color he wanted to turn the water. My mom sent these wonderful tablets that you simply drop in, and voila! You have color! He chose green, so we dropped in one blue tablet and one yellow one. Almost like magic the water started to change and his entire face lit up! It took a while to convince him to actually sit on his bottom, but it happened nonetheless.


Next we pulled out the bath crayons! He immediately went to work drawing a picture on the wall.

The bubbles were of course a hit and he continued to blow on them!

Amongst the many awesome bath supplies was a red crab wash cloth puppet. He wore that silly thing almost the entire time and only gave it up to let me wash him!

Once he was clean and we had played for quite some time, I tried to persuade him out. I never would have guessed it...but he refused! He said he wanted to stay! So, we let him play for quite a while and then I drained the water out. Even once the last of the water was gone, he still didn't want to get out :)

We wrapped him in his pirate robe and headed out to the living room for a lotion rub down and pj's.


Bath time was finally a success thanks to grandma! There are still many items from the package that we haven't touched, so hopefully we can keep this excitement going for quite some time!

And yes, before anyone comments...I know he needs a haircut! He and Levi both have this super scruffy look going on together and I love how much it makes them look alike! What can I say? I'm a sucker for these boys! :)

Prenatal yoga!

I'm. In. Love. I have never tried a yoga class before now, and I really feel like I've been missing out on something great! A friend and I went to a prenatal yoga class this weekend and it was such an eye opening experience. Let me tell you though, I am SORE. I never knew that yoga was so intense, but I think that's what I liked about it. The atmosphere was beyond relaxing and it felt great to be in the presence of so many other expectant mothers. The stretches are all designed to help ease your body, mind, heart, hips and breathing for childbirth. The instructor was fantastic, the intensity levels were just right, and the mood I felt afterwards was nearly impossible to recreate. Yoga has just taken on a huge part of my life. I have never been more relaxed and calm...and I know that's exactly what my baby and I need!

Happy V-Day, hubby!

In celebration of Valentine's Day and after this past weekend, I feel it necessary to brag about my wonderful hubby! My school load was insane this last week and because I've chosen to nap instead of study (go me!) I really started to fall behind. On Saturday, Levi took Lucas to his art class and ultimately turned it into a guys day to let me get some much-needed-work done. After nap they headed to Bouncing Bears to give me a few more hours to myself, and it definitely helped. He also took little man grocery shopping with him on Sunday for my sake! He has proven to be such an amazing father and I cannot imagine my life without him. It's been almost six years since we first got together, but I only see us growing stronger over time. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but there is a reason that he is my husband and the father of my children!


I love you sweetie and thank you for putting up with me these past few weeks. I know my desire to sleep has over trumped everything these days, but I can't wait to spend some wonderful island time together here very soon. I love you so much and can't wait to see what the future has in store for us still! xoxo

First Ultrasound!

I went in yesterday (at 12 weeks and 1 day) for our very first ultrasound of baby #2! When I mentioned to the lady that I was going for Nursing and then going to pursue my Master's in Midwifery...we hit it off instantly! We talked babies the entire time and she went above and beyond her required work for me. She had a lot of fun teaching me more about the scans and showing me how advanced ultrasounds are becoming these days. At a mere 12 weeks, we were able to see the babies brain matter and all four chamber of the heart beating away beautifully. She even offered to let me sit in with her with other clients if I'm interested, which of course...I AM! What can I say...babies are my thing too! :)

Levi was stuck on a delayed flight trying to return home and unfortunately missed this appointment. The lady was so sweet and snuck me a bunch of pictures and video on a disk to show him. And this wouldn't have been the perfect experience if I didn't brag about Lucas. He did FANTASTIC! He sat beside me the entire time reading and playing with his trains and taking a little bit of interest in the baby.The baby was extremely active and all over the place nearly the entire time. Not only did it jump around like a frog when poked, it's little arms and legs were flailing around everywhere. My favorite part was when Lucas said the baby was waving at him. Isn't that the sweetest thing?! He's going to make a wonderful big brother!

I mentioned that I've been cramping quite a bit the past few days but didn't stress too much because I was not bleeding. When doing the ultrasound she paused for a moment and showed me where my uterus was having a small contraction. It was kind of a scary moment and made me realize the importance of taking it easy. I've been on the go all week taking kids to play dates and the museum, and I think I'm pushing it a little too much. I was happy when the morning sickness let up, but that doesn't mean I need to jump back into everything right away. So here's my pledge to relax more and try to get the extra sleep I need! Baby looked absolutely perfect and healthy at this point. Can't wait to find out what we're having in about 6.5 weeks!!

Hawaii!!

We just booked our tickets for Hawaii and let me tell ya...I'm counting down the days! I have been juggling daycare, full time school and awful awful morning sickness for the last two months, so I think I'm entitled to a lovely break!

We will be staying in Hawaii for a whopping 17 days and then visiting Seattle for 3 days on our return home to visit family. I cannot wait! We will even be able to see some close friends of ours who will be vacationing in Hawaii during this same time! This may be our only opportunity to travel before the baby comes and the way I see it...we had better make the best of it!

On another great note, I am beginning to feel better! (YAY!) I am just a little over 11 weeks and I can tell the hormones are dwindling down. I even (successfully) made dinner for the first time last night. Now that's a huge accomplishment in my book! I figure the second trimester is the best time to travel anyways, so we'll be doing our vacationing when I'm from 15.5 weeks to 18.5 weeks. And best yet, we'll be able to find out the sex of the baby as soon as we return home!! Perfect timing if I do say so myself!

I was browsing back at pictures from our trip last year and I can't believe how tiny Lucas was. We went shortly after his 1st birthday...and he was a relatively new walker. He is going to LOVE Hawaii even more this time around. I can't wait to watch him running up and down the beach in search of shells. And now that's he's older I think I'll be more comfortable taking him out on the canoe to swim with dolphins! (Or at least be near them) It'll be quite a shock going from snow to beach...but I know it'll be a huge hit!

Sunshine, warmth, beach, sand, lava, dolphins, turtles, fish, avocados, pineapple...HERE WE COME!