Corn (on the cob) Retchless: Week 24

Size of Baby: 13.5 inches and 1.5 lbs.

Workouts: Not to make excuses, but this week we traveled so I wasn't able to get in quite as many as I would have liked. Total: 3 Bar Method, and maybe 2 Nana walks.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, although the bump still isn't quite big enough to fill out the extra material in a lot of maternity tops (this was also a problem for dress shopping this week). Very happy to be back in elastic waisted jeans though.
 

Movement: More every week! Starting to feel a bit more from the outside but not reliably.

 

 

Symptoms: Having a little trouble in the sleep department. According to a fantastic pregnancy app I have (Pregnancy Companion) this is because of a high level of estrogen in my body. Apparently the progesterone in my body will also begin to make me breathe faster. I really like this app because it explains some of the more curious symptoms of pregnancy in real terms versus the standard "your going to be more tired".

 

What I Miss: Wine. We are celebrating my cousin's wedding this weekend and I am definitely going to be missing partaking in the drinking portion of the fun!

Girl or Boy: Boy!

 

Belly button In or Out: Flat.

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Cravings: Nothing really. Still have aversions to chicken breast (if it is pulled or sliced I'm ok, but just a piece on a plate is not an option).

Best Moment This Week: Getting back to St. Louis with my rockstar flying companion, Noah. Seriously, he is a pro and made traveling at 6 months pregnant easy breezy.

I have a feeling you are going to see a lot of repeat outfits until the weather changes! All of my maternity clothes from Noah are summer clothes and I am avoiding buying much of anything new if I can help it.

Mango Retchless: Week 23

How Far Along: 23 weeks.

Size of Baby: 11+ inches, and over 1 pound.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:

Workouts: Taking a positive spin on the weight issue and adding a new field for what exercise I did over the past week. Since last Monday I did 3 Bar Method classes and a handful of Nana walks (ranging from a 20 minute leisurely stroll to a 50 minute power walk).

Maternity Clothes: Why, hello maternity jeans! I finally pulled out a couple pairs of the elastic waisters and I am very happy I did.

Movement: Dancing more each day. Scott was able to feel a little, tiny kick but not much since. Baby Boy tends to get a little shy once I catch on to the fact he's moving and try to feel him.

They both gave up (and Noah gave the baby a few high fives while he was at it)

Symptoms: Growing belly (and hips, thighs, butt).

What I Miss: NyQuil. Had a bit of a cold this week and was seriously wishing for some NyQuil to knock it out of my system. Settled for Tylenol PM and I am already on the mend. One benefit of being pregnant is that I am getting tons of fluids, good rest, exercising regularly and not drinking...all good things when trying to kick a cold.

 
Girl or Boy: Boy!

Belly button In or Out: Innie but getting seriously flat.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too. 

Cravings: Zero.

Best Moment This Week: Jess & Kirk came over and made mocktails! I seriously underestimated these little gems. I will definitely be trying a few new recipes over the next 17 weeks. 

I look tired. As I mentioned...fighting a mean cold. Also, third day hair...I commit to showering today!

I much prefer this one with my head cut off ;-). This bump seriously shape shifts throughout the day!

AND, just for fun...23 weeks with Noah:

I miss exactly nothing about that purple shirt!

Spaghetti Squash Retchless: Week 22

How Far Along: 22 weeks. My doctor burst my bubble today though and even though Baby is measuring for a May 18 due date, they aren't officially changing it (from May 23). Apparently the early measurements are the most accurate so they stick with those. But, as far as I am concerned, this little guy is due on the 18th and I am 22 weeks along ;-).

Size of Baby: Almost 11 inches and 1 pound.
 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: No longer playing the weight game. So far I am at the same weight I was with Noah at this point. And that's all I have to say about this from now on. 

Maternity Clothes: Still shirts only but the normal pants are on their last legs.

Movement: Still little flutters here and there. My placenta is on the outside (think under my belly button) so apparently this acts as a cushion so I can't feel him as much right now. I have a feeling this will change when he can reach my ribs ;-).

 
Symptoms: Starting to get leg/back aches if I am on my feet for too long. Nothing a little couch time or overnight sleep doesn't cure.
 

What I Miss: Nothing new to report here. 

 
Girl or Boy: Boy!
 

Belly button In or Out: Innie but getting seriously flat. I think this is much earlier than with Noah.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too. 
 

Cravings: Probably cereal would be the closest thing to a craving. Definitely suffering from a chicken breast aversion. If it is pulled or sliced (i.e.-on top of a salad) I can eat it, but cooking chicken for dinner is just not happening right now.

Best Moment This Week: Brainstorming on the boys room. We came up with some quick and easy changes that will make having both boys in there very doable. 

Pomegranate Retchless: Week 21

This week was exciting because my 20 week status only lasted for 3 days! My due date was originally calculated as May 23 based on very early measurements of Baby R. However, as we have progressed, and on each visit to the diagnostic imaging center (where they do our "big" ultrasounds), Baby has been measuring for a due date of May 18. I didn't want to jump to updating my status as having to go backwards would be really disappointing, but for the past 8 weeks Baby has stayed on track for May 18.

Hello little lips! (His nose is to the right...the mouth is sideways) I mean, I could kiss them right now! Also, it doesn't look like he has the Retchless cleft chin?! Not sure when this develops or if we could even see it anyway, but it will be interesting to note when he makes his arrival.

SO, I am now 21 weeks! This is both very exciting as it was like time travel (which would kind of be amazing during pregnancy in my opinion), and a bit shocking as I am now past the halfway mark. What do I have to show for this? Three pieces of clean baby clothing. That is how much prep I have done for this little guy. As I mentioned, Noah and Baby will be sharing a room. But, I have zero desire/motivation to change up Noah's space just yet. Noah will be 2.5 when the baby arrives and we could be on the cusp of a big boy bed. In that case, Baby will just get Noah's crib and we'll get Noah a new bed. However, I am not rushing Noah out of his current bed so should he still be happily dozing in there, we will need another crib. So, I have taken the "wait and see" approach to this whole thing. No rearranging, no new furniture. 

In typing this though, I am thinking it might be beneficial to add a little bit of Baby into Noah's room, with Noah being involved. It might be fun for the two of us to do a craft a month and begin to fill Noah's room with items to make it feel like a room for both kids. I can see this being a very beneficial step for Noah to help him understand that he will soon be sharing his home, room, parents, toys, etc. with another person.

I am rambling. The point of this was that time is flying and Baby is going to be here before we know it.

You have probably noticed that I haven't been calling this little guy by his name. Scott and I decided that while it is not going to be a closely guarded secret, we aren't going to put it out into the internet world until his arrival.

This week was also pretty exciting because we got to have our anatomy scan done! Baby R checked out perfectly and we were given the peace of mind that we have a happy, healthy baby kicking around. Noah came along for the scan and he was definitely curious about what happening to my tummy! He snuggled in with me on the table for the big "show" and kept saying "baby" over and over. He is still a bit confused on where the baby is (he points to his own stomach a lot when I ask where the baby is) but I think that is to be expected of a two year old. Regardless of how much prep we do, I have a feeling his world is going to be rocked come May.

What else? I feel like my face is getting more full. Again, I think that this is because I was leaner going into this pregnancy so my body is just evening out, but it makes me feel puffy in pictures. Pictures...the digital age is such a funny thing. I could literally post a picture where I look like I have gained 30 pounds, and then one where it looks like I am lying about being pregnant. It's all about perspective and makes me realize that what we, as pregnant women, non pregnant women, etc. compare ourselves to is all pretty warped! I can guarantee you that if you saw me on a Monday or Wednesday, at 8am or 8pm, I could look like two different people (not really, but you get my drift).

I swear my pregnancy brain is worse than ever this week (as illustrated by that last mess of a paragraph and general randomness of this post). I had dinner with a friend last night and seriously had about 4 what most would deem "blonde moments". I blame Baby R!

I leave you with a picture and will see you next week when my brain has hopefully rejoined my body!

I think I look like a creeper in this picture (it is really odd to take pictures of yourself...but Scott was out of town) so I tried again...

Today at Noah's gymnastics class I told another mom I was pregnant and she said, "I was wondering...". Baby is finally starting to be noticeable to someone other than me!!

christmas and the sickies.

Finally, I am getting my Christmas post up! Sorry for the delay but I can promise lots of pictures!

Christmas Eve.

I believe you know this cast of characters.

I mentioned in a past post that the holidays only get more fun as Noah gets older. This year was far and away the best. He really started to "get it" and had a blast with all the festivities. First, a few pictures...then some more words!

Eli, Jillian, and Noah. These three play so well together which makes my heart very happy since I love their mom so much!

Annual Smith bus trip. Another great year!

Noah and Griffin with Grams. Cynthia made the adorable sweaters and this picture will be getting framed ASAP!

Koon family second cousins.

Shatto Family Christmas celebration. I have to believe you are beginning to see just how packed Christmas in St. Louis is!

Santa: Let's get the big guy addressed. Back when we saw Santa, Noah was not such a fan. I think we would have been better served to wait a few weeks (instead of taking him in November) as once we started talking up Santa, Noah started spotting him everywhere and saying "ho, ho, ho" on repeat (he even told my mom that the Baby's name was Ho Ho Ho...it's not!). So, I think with a little more time to get used to the idea of Santa, Noah would have enjoyed meeting the jolly fellow a bit more. 

They weren't all for Noah, but clearly we got carried away!

Jesus: Noah's wonderful Godmother, Chrissie, challenged me on this one asking if I was doing my job of teaching Noah the real meaning of Christmas. My reply...he goes to a Christian preschool and had a Christmas program (which was 100% religious focused...no Frosty or Santa present). Probably not the best response and something that we need to up next year. I know his school was very focused on the Christmas story and we got some really great art to prove it (pictures of the kids holding baby Jesus, a manger, etc...), so I don't feel like it was a total loss. That said, next year we are going to get our own Nativity set and a few books that aren't all about Santa. 

He was SO excited to be at school at night...he wouldn't stop moving hence the blurry picture.

Can you spot him? Next year I am getting there super early for a front row seat!

All bundled (with his Keurig cup?!) after the show.

Advent: We have a Noah's Ark advent calendar with a new animal each day. Noah was ON TOP of this countdown to Christmas! Every day he would get excited to open up the next door and see what animal we got to add to the ark. 

This is the best picture I have of the ark.

Presents: Yep, he really got this concept. He wasted no time getting through the unwrapping and even tried to unwrap other people's gifts if they were left unattended. He was like a moth to a flame with gift bags, throwing the tissue paper everywhere until he found the goods! That said, going into Christmas I was really trying to be conservative with presents. Noah has so much, and having just come off his birthday we didn't really need 700 Christmas presents. But, alas, we still ended up with a ridiculous number of presents between us and Grandma/Papa. It actually got to the point that on Christmas morning he quit opening his presents. I stashed one for the plane ride home and we eventually had to circle back (after clean up) to get him to open the final two. Lesson learned for Baby 2...less is more! And, for the record, he ended up most attached to one little toy train (Wilson from Chugginton) and a Ducati replica figurine my dad got...again, less is more!

Pure happiness!

The football was pushed in the stroller while the baby we got him got thrown to the curb!

Overall, the holidays were just so fun. Watching Noah in his school program with all the other kids (and enjoying a "late" night out with friends afterwards) was such a great way to kick off the festivities. Also, watching him decorate cookies for Santa, play with his cousins throughout the holidays, and embrace the holiday chaos was really special. While it is admittedly a bit more hectic with a 2 year old, it is truly amazing to watch the holidays through your child. The things that seem so redundant make him light up and make every moment worth it!

Cookie decorating. He really got into it!

The plate we left for Santa.

One thing that took a bit of the wind out of our holiday sails was a giant case of sickness. It all started with a slight cold but turned into a full blown sickness by the time the New Year rolled around. Poor guy pretty much got everything thrown at him and still managed to be a trooper through all of the craziness that is the holiday season. We had clear snot, green snot, and coughs to start it all off. Then those subsided and we got hit with the fever, chills, and clingyness. We were due to depart on Monday but when Noah woke up it was clear that it was time to get him to a Dr. He had a 102.8* fever and was seriously a shell of a boy. He just sat sadly in my lap and we ended up at the Urgent Care in PJs. Luckily, he didn't have RSV, unfortunately, he had an ear infection. I wasn't too surprised. Fever+clingy=ear ache 99% of the time. Unfortunately, this meant we wouldn't be catching our 7pm flight home so we settled in for New Years in St. Louis. For the record, if you have to get stuck somewhere, St. Louis with your parents and entire family is a pretty good option! It took a good two days to see any signs of improvement in our little man but we felt confident that we could get on our Wednesday flight armed with a pacifier and Advil.

That, my friends, is one sick little boy.

The aforementioned Ducati...and our poor boy miserable at the thought of eating.

We made it home without so much as a whimper from the patient and decided he was cured of his ailment. Yet, he was still a bit clingy to me and just not 100% himself. This could have been from the fact that the antibiotics wrecked his stomach. He wouldn't eat for 3 days and anything he ate went straight through him. By Thursday night he had a rash. So, off to the pediatrician we went. Turns out, the rash was likely a viral rash which signals the end of a virus. We went ahead and quit all medicines as his ears looked great and lungs sounded perfect and hopefully this virus is gone for good!

Riding happy in his first class seat (thank you miles!!!).

We had a great holiday but sure are happy to be home, healthy, and in 70* weather where viruses seem to know that they are not welcome! 

The city by the Bay.

To wrap up the holiday season, we got to see our friends that we met on our trip to Hawaii. They were paying a visit to San Francisco so we spent the day in our favorite city with some great friends. Both Scott and I commented on how crazy it is to meet people on vacation, spend a few days together, and be able to pick right back up where we left off like we have known them for years. 

August.

January. Fun little fact...we are both pregnant now!

The whole gang at dinner.

And, that about sums it up! I wish I could just bottle it all up and share every moment, but this will have to do for today!

Merry Christmas!

Banana Retchless: Week 20

How Far Along: 20 weeks.

Size of Baby: Length of a banana.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: No clue. Some moments it feels like a lot, others not much at all.

Maternity Clothes: Still just a couple shirts. No pants yet.

Movement: More every day. Noah was sick this past week (more on that in an upcoming post) and VERY clingy. He actually needed to be rocked in the middle of the night for the first time since we sleep trained him if that gives you any indication of how sick he was. ANYWAY, the late nights were well worth it as the baby would go CRAZY whenever Noah would lay on me. It was like he wanted play with his big brother. Noah did the same thing whenever Lola was near my belly so it is fun to see the similarities.

 
Symptoms: Mainly just really being aware that there is a baby growing inside! It is really uncomfortable when Noah leans back hard into my belly while we are readying books. Kind of like having a basketball under your shirt and having someone lean into it. It's just a funny phase though...by the time this belly gets really big there won't be any room to push it around.

What I Miss: Nothing new in this category. Back in California and enjoying hiking outside and getting back to Bar Method. Feeling a-ok.

 
Girl or Boy: Boy!

Belly button In or Out: Innie, but it seems to be getting flatter much faster than with Noah.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too. 

Cravings: Nothing. I think I met my lifetime quota for sweets over the holidays and don't even have a hankering for those any more.

Best Moment This Week: Definitely feeling baby R react to Noah!!!

Random thought: I am considering sharing Baby R's name with the world. My mom has covered all of St. Louis so the secret isn't really so secret. My other pro is that I know A LOT of pregnant people right now and I kind of want to "secure" my name! haha. Ridiculous I know, but not unreasonable. The only downside is having to hear people's thoughts on his name for the next 4.5 months. To share or not to share?!

Starting to like this little bump of mine!