It's a...

On Wednesday (Dec 17th), we had our 19 week appointment and anatomy scan. This was definitely bittersweet for me.  I had been anticipating this appointment since I found out I was pregnant in September but I also know it's probably the last time I'll hear those words "It's a..."! I sort of liked the suspense and a part of me didn't want to find out the gender, I just wanted to savor that feeling of butterflies in my stomach as long as possible.  But, my hubs wasn't about to let it be a surprise so I gave it and we found out. Anyways, everything looked perfect on the ultrasound. I watched in amazement (although this is my 11th ultrasound including all the ones with Hudson...it never gets old!) as we could see the tiny little hands and feet, sweet little face, perfectly beating heart. And at the very end we finally heard "It's a BOY!" I am thrilled for Hudson to have a brother just two years younger than him, I pray that they are the very best of friends! No news on the name front, this is a tough one for us. And, we may try to keep it under wraps this time just for fun ;)

Pregnancy update: I feel pretty good most of the time. I still have occasional nausea and some bad indigestion but my energy is good and I'm back to jogging a few days a week so I'm super happy about that. I have no chance of buttoning my regular pants these days so I'm in full blown maternity parts (which I don't mind at all!). Shirts are hit or miss. My sweet friend Ashley let me borrow her entire maternity wardrobe which is honestly way more stylish than my regular clothes! This baby is super active and the flutters I started feeling at 16 weeks are now kicks and jabs. Chris actually started to feel baby from the outside about a week ago. It's crazy to think that in just 2 days, I'll be 20 weeks- halfway there!

We love you sweet baby BOY and can't wait to meet you!

Life update

Things have changed a bit around here lately. As of December 1st, I went from being a "work at home" mom to a "stay at home" mom. I have known for the past year that my job at WFU would end on November 30th as it was a grant funded position. Originally, our intentions were for me to find a  part time job and still be home with Hudson some during the week. But then I found out I was pregnant with #2. While I did continue to look for jobs, the search slowed down a lot. I really only actively pursued one job and was actually offered the position the same day I had my phone interview. But, the job came with a catch. The company is currently on a hiring freeze and there's no promise as to when that job will start. Whenever they are able to hire again it will be a flexible, make your own hours kind of job which I'm so thankful for. So, for now I'm enjoying this precious time with Hudson. It's nice not to worry about work deadlines and answering emails or phone calls in the middle of the day. During his nap time I don't have to be glued to my computer but I can actually clean the house, prep for dinner, or take a nap! I'm praying that the job actually does work out because it will the perfect "working mom" job but I'm in no rush to start to be perfectly honest.  I'm not sure I can say the same about Chris ;)

In other news, Sunday marked 18 weeks pregnant. I have been feeling a ton better and not relying on the Zofran everyday. My only complaint now is terrible indigestion at night that often makes me physically sick. And Tums just aren't cutting it. We go back to the doctor next Wednesday for our anatomy scan and I can't wait to see baby again! I really don't have any feeling whether it's a girl or a boy but anytime Hudson talks about baby he refers to it as "baby sister". His best little buddy just had a baby sister so I think he's heard me talk a lot about "Noah's baby sister". It's funny though because if you ask him if the baby is a boy or a girl, he always says "boy". So, we are all confused at this point! I'm just praying for a healthy baby! My belly is growing much faster this time and I have felt baby move a bit (nothing super consistently though). It's really hard to believe that my pregnancy is almost halfway over. I want to soak up every second of the next 5 months with just Hudson but at the same time I can't wait to love another tiny person just as much!

Traditions

I love being able to start new traditions with our little family. While Chris and I have been to the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree before, this is the first year it included Hudson.  And I'm so excited for it to be something that we do every year! Like in the past, we went to Sparta and just followed the signs until we found a choose and cut place. I think next year we will do a little more research before we go as this place was sort of a little hole in the wall.  But, we still had a good time. The foster girls were with us too but, of course, I can't post pictures of them.  It was a very cold day and we all ended up with pretty wet feet for the ride home because of the snow on the ground. What a great way to kick off the Christmas season!

I think it's also a yearly tradition that our tree falls at least once!

19 months/15 weeks

Life's been a bit busy around here lately so I thought I would condense two posts into one instead of trying to find time to blog twice! First things first...Hudson is 19 months old and I can't believe how time is flying!

New things this month: I continue to be amazed at how verbal Hudson is. I know I'm biased as his mom but he often says words and I think "where in the world did he learn that?" He is putting multiple words together and even a few sentences here and there.  And he's very articulate...most things just about anyone could understand. On the not so bright side, something is going on with his sleep. He has become hard to get to bed most nights and wants mommy to "rock for a minute" (which really means he wants me to rock him until he falls asleep). And, he hasn't consistently slept through the night in about a month. Even his naps are shorter these days. It's so odd....he was such a champion sleeper for a while! He has also become very fascinated with the potty. Every time his diaper is off he wants to "pee pee on the potty". Now, he has never actually peed in the potty but he sure does love to pretend.  Actually, we have a potty that makes a flushing noise and I really think he just likes that!

My favorite things about Hudson this month: What don't I love about this boy (well, maybe his temper tantrums)?? I love that Hudson is developing such a sweet personality and often just wants to "cuddle" with mommy or daddy. He will give me kisses unprompted and gives the best little hugs. He is becoming very creative with his play and yesterday pulled out the pots and pans and made me "soup". It's so fun to watch his little mind learn new things and new ways to play. Another thing that I love is that he has learned is to sing! He knows several songs and I'll catch him singing to himself throughout the day. Usually it's either "Twinkle Twinkle", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", or "Rock a bye baby". So sweet...

 

 

 

On Sunday, I was 15 weeks.  This pregnancy is going so fast already! Unfortunately I haven't had much symptom relief yet...still pretty bad nausea and really tired.  But, I did get a prescription for Zofran and that has really helped over the past week! I try to only take it when I really need it but it does help me to be able to eat a little bit more normal/healthier and keep it down (before the medication, I was pretty much living on cereal, bagels, and Sprite). I had been pretty consistently walking everyday but the past few days it's been so cold that I don't feel comfortable taking Hudson out in the stroller.  But, hopefully it will warm up and I can get back into a routine! I do feel like I'm showing much quicker than I did with Hudson but I'm definitely in that "she may have just ate too much" stage. We go back to the doctor next Tuesday and I'm excited to hear that heartbeat again!

Fall family pictures

At the end of October we were gifted a mini session with Amanda Castle Photography at Chris' pumpkin patch. I am so happy with how these turned out despite the fact that it was 80 degrees for our "fall" pictures! Here are some of the gems that she captured:

Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween from my little dinosaur!

What a difference a year makes!

The details...

I know I won't publish this post for a while but I want to write the story of finding out about #2 before I forget all the details.  Let me start at the beginning.  If you read this blog, you probably know that it took a really long time for us to conceive Hudson.  So, we decided when Hudson was 8 months old that we would not exactly "try" but if it happened it happened.  Well, fast forward 7 months and no baby yet.  I went to the OB for my regular yearly appointment at the beginning of August and she said she figured that I would get pregnant as soon as I stopped nursing Hudson.  I really wanted to let H nurse as long as he wanted to I decided that if it took a while to get pregnant this time around, so be it.  Funny thing happened that month though...he stopped showing interest in nursing except maybe once or twice a day.  The end of the month rolled around and I had a funny feeling I might be pregnant.  But, part of me was scared to take a test because I had convinced myself it would be negative. By the time I finally decided to take a test it was September 3rd.  I didn't want to spend much on a pregnancy test (still convinced it would be negative) so I went to the Dollar Store.  Let me tell you...DO NOT buy a Dollar Store pregnancy test if you want an absolute answer.  I came home and took the test and was so confused.  It kind of looked positive but kind of didn't?  Chris was home and I showed him and he couldn't tell either (although after the fact he said he knew it was positive all along).  So, I got back in the car and drove to CVS and spent $20 on a test that would tell me "pregnant" or "not pregnant".  I didn't want any confusion this time.  There was no denying this test....PREGNANT!  I am so excited that Hudson is going to be a big brother!

Week 5: I had a scare this week.  I went for a run and when I got home I noticed I was bleeding.  I didn't have any kind of spotting with Hudson so this obviously freaked me out.  I called my OB office immediately and they got me in that same afternoon for an ultrasound.  Because I'm still so early they couldn't hear the heartbeat but everything looked like it was suppose to so I was told not to worry.  They told me to stop running at least for a while but other than that, no restrictions. Phew!

Week 8:  I haven't done a good job of documenting this pregnancy so far but I wanted to update because I know I'll want to look back and remember all of this.  Sadly, the nausea has started.  But so far (knock on wood) it's not as bad as it was with Hudson.  I feel pretty bad in the mornings but as long as I eat every hour or so, I can keep it at bay the rest of the day. I have been trying to walk at least 3 miles every day but haven't yet started running again. I went this morning for my first official OB visit. I was measuring right on track with a due date of May 10th (which happens to be Mother's Day!). Everything looked great.  Baby #2 had a heart rate of 171 (Hudson's was 172 at this same appointment).  I'm already looking forward to hearing that sweet heartbeat again at the end of October!

Week 9: Hudson and I took a trip to Boston this past weekend and told my family about baby #2.  Needless to say, everyone was thrilled!  I was nervous about flying because I haven't been feeling well but thankfully the nausea wasn't terrible and both flights went better than expected.  Speaking of nausea, it comes in waves.  With Hudson, it was pretty constant but this pregnancy it will just hit me without warning.  I feel like I am eating constantly!  Because of that, I am already showing a little bit.  I'm not sure anyone would notice but I definitely feel my clothes fitting differently.  And I am OH SO tired!  I have snuck in a few naps during Hudson's nap time (which I really shouldn't do because it's my prime work time).  Some days I honestly just can't keep my eyes open.  Just 19 more days until we get to hear that heartbeat again!

Week 10: Oh week 10...you are not being so kind to me!  Strangely, I have been feeling pretty good during the day with just a few waves on nausea every now and then. But, then at night, it hits me.  I think it's because all day I eat pretty bland foods- cereal, sandwiches, yogurt.  But, after a real "meal" (tacos last night, chili tonight) my body revolts.  I honestly thought I might have a stomach bug the past two nights because it's so bad. I think I'll be cooking basics for a while- chicken, rice, basic vegetables.  I am thirsty all the time but can't stomach water unless it is ice cold. I have been drinking some Gatorade to stay hydrated but that doesn't taste great to me either. I have been in bed before 10 a lot of nights and still wake up feeling exhausted.  Oh, first trimester...are you almost over??  But, less than 2 weeks now until my next appointment (it's funny how exciting doctor's appointments are when you are pregnant!).

Week 11: I'm a bit behind since I'll actually be 12 weeks tomorrow. But, I have been so exhausted at night that I've been in bed pretty early and blogging is just not a priority. Not to mention that Hudson has been up in the middle of the night 4 of the past 5 nights (and he is NOT easy to get back to sleep). I am still experiencing quite a bit of nausea.  I have good days and bad days...today was particularly bad.  Just baby reminding me that he/she is in there I guess! Thankfully my nighttime nausea has been getting better.  I'm really looking forward to our appointment on Tuesday morning!  I know I'll breathe a little bit easier once I hear that heartbeat again from our sweet baby.

October 28: We had our 12 week appointment this morning and everything was perfect!  We could hear the heartbeat the second the nurse put the doppler on my stomach which was such a relief. The baby's heart rate was 160 which is exactly what Hudson's was at this point too (maybe it's boy #2?).  We have a few more family members to tell and then we are excited to finally be able to share our news with everyone! 

A little announcement from our family to yours...

18 months

Measurements: No official measurements yet (I'll update on 10/22). Hudson is is mostly 18 month clothes but some 24 month shirts and pajamas.

Eats: Hudson still continues to eat pretty much anything although he has started telling me "no" if he's not in the mood for something or has something else in mind that he wants to eat. I have trouble getting him to eat much breakfast, he's never that interested. But, he's a good eater at lunch and dinner thankfully. His currently favorites are still fruit of all kinds (especially blueberries and grapes), black beans, cheese, Greek yogurt, carrots, and anything sweet.  He definitely inherited the sweet tooth from his momma.   

Sleeps: I'm thankful for my good little sleeper.  Hudson loves his crib and reaches for it most nights to go to bed.  He is in bed between 7 and 7:30 and usually sleeps 12 hours. He naps around noon and will sleep anywhere from 1.5-2 hrs.  Yesterday he surprised me with a 2.5 hour nap which I love!

Milestones: Oh my...Hudson talks SO MUCH!  He will mimic basically anything you say and freely says a ton of words. He has even put together a few sentences.  At night, we always sing Hudson the same 3 songs (Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and You are my Sunshine).  Tonight after those 3 songs, he looked up at me while I was rocking him and said "Only a boy?" (a song we sing a lot during the day but never at night).  So, he's starting to definitely have preferences and will ASK for them.

Likes: Hudson loves to be outside still although the weather hasn't been great lately so we have been cooped up inside a lot. He also has an infatuation with pumpkins.  Ever since Chris started setting up the pumpkin patch he yells "pumpkin!" with delight every time we see a pumpkin anywhere!  All day he says "Daddy work pumpkins". His favorite friend to play with is Noah and he asks for him several times a day.  This morning Hudson and I were out for a walk and I asked him "What do you want to play with when we get home?".  He looked up at me and said "Noah."  He can't get enough of his little buddy! He still loves books although he usually doesn't want Mommy to read to him anymore.  He usually picks a book out and I'll say "Do you want Mommy to read to you?" and he says "No, Hudson!"  And he will sit down and flip through the pages himself!

Dislikes:  Well, I still very much have a momma's boy on my hands and his separation anxiety isn't getting a ton better. However, if he's familiar with a situation (church, his buddy Noah's house) than he's ok with me leaving.  But, if it's a new situation it's total meltdown.  Hudson also has a pretty strong temper.  He does not like to be told "no" and can have a pretty good tantrum if he is.  I'm trying my best to ignore these and hoping that he grows out of it quickly!

This might be my favorite age yet (although I have said that a lot).  Watching Hudson grow up just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.  I love seeing him learn new things or grasp new concepts. I can't believe he's already a year and a half old!  Where does the time go?

 

17 months

New things this month: I really think Hudson learns something new every day.  It amazes me how fast he picks up on things.  He loves to "color" right now although I often find him using the crayons on the chairs, floor, etc. He has started telling me just "one more" when he wants another book, crayon, etc. Another thing he has started telling me is when he "pee pees" or "poo poos". I guess this is a good sign although potty training isn't even on my radar at this point. He loves Elmo which is so funny because I don't do really any screen time with him.  I guess he has seen Elmo in books. My boy is a major climber.  It's a constant battle to keep him off the kitchen chairs because he uses them as leverage to climb on the kitchen table.  He is doing really well with just one nap a day and it makes my life so much easier because we are able to make morning and/or afternoon plans.

My favorite things about Hudson this month: I'm not sure I can choose any favorite things.  This is such a fun age.  Hudson is becoming his own little person and is fiercely independent.  While this sometime results in tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, I love seeing him forming his own little opinions.  I love his sweet hugs and kisses and the fact that he still loves his mommy so much. I love that every time he sees a white car he gets so excited and asks for his bff Noah just like he does when he sees Daddy's red truck pull in the driveway. I am so thankful to be this little boys momma!

Sadly, I didn't take a single picture this month other than at the beach and I already posted all those pictures!  I'll do better next month!

Emerald Isle 2014

We returned this afternoon from Emerald Isle, the first time we had been to the beach (in NC) in 4 years!  It was an amazing 4 days away.  With all that has gone on around our house lately, we needed a break from everyday "life" so our beach trip was perfect timing.  I can't say Hudson as a huge fan of the beach itself...he definitely didn't like the water and was a bit undecided about the sand.  Thankfully, Chris' aunt and uncle's house where we stay has a pool and a dock out to the sound so that's where we spent most of our time.  We also made 2 trips to the aquarium- they had a dinosaur exhibit outside but the first time we went it was pouring rain so we didn't get to see it...so we went back to see the "roars", as Hudson calls them.  We also walked through Fort Macon and downtown Beaufort. It did rain pretty hard 2 of the days we were there but we didn't mind.  In fact, it was a really good excuse to do pretty much nothing! I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I would have liked but I kept my phone away most of the time because I needed to "unplug" and spend some time with my boys.  We cannot wait to get back to the beach and I can guarantee it will not be another 4 years before we do so!

Still deciding whether or not he likes this "beach" thing

 

He's currently obsessed with any kind of "crackers"...this was his favorite beach activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did a lot of this...just relaxing

The wind-blown beach look ;)

Sometimes you gotta give your kids Oreos to avoid a complete car meltdown.... I was "that" mom today

We are all worn out but it was an awesome getaway!