Playmate

These two haven't seen each other in 3 weeks. So when Chantel called me up and needed a sitter on Saturday Brody and I were beyond thrilled! Saturday morning I kept telling Brody that Mason was coming over and he would run to the front door and threw up his hands when he didn't see him. It was so cute! Here are some pics from yesterday

Hello? Who's there?





Hang on Mason

What?

Ok my turn, move over

There's not enough room!!

Here we go again!





They LOVED playing in the playhouse together!


Dancing to "Hot Dog" off Mickey's Clubhouse

The boys had a great time together and played nonstop except for the 2 hour nap that they both took. I cannot wait until we can do it again

22 Weeks

I'm playing catch up tonight so Brody's 16 month update is below this one!

Jaxson is growing and becoming very active! I'm still feeling good, having contractions randomly but nothing to worry about. I usually can just go to the bathroom or drink water or put my feet up and they will go away. It is starting to get uncomfortable to have Brody rolling around on my belly or when he sits with me. And bending over or picking him up often can be tiresome but I'm sure that's only going to get worse as I get bigger.
Here are the ultrasound pictures from Monday that I keep promising.
Jaxson at 22 weeks:

Looking at us(face)

Giving us another clear shot that he's a BOY! Never saw this with Brody but Jax is definitely letting us know

Side profile of head

Barbara made this adorable pillow. I have some more pics I need to take but my flash battery died so I have to get it charged before taking more pics. Brody loved this pillow because it had "balls" all around the edges.

Jaxson's development at 22 weeks:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash or a papaya) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
The organ systems in your baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. The fetal liver produces different enzymes than it will produce after delivery. The liver is responsible for breaking down billirubin, which is produced by the breaking down of blood cells. Because the life span of a fetal red blood cell is shorter than that of an adult, a fetus produces more billirubin than adults do. Billirubin passes from fetal blood to the placenta and then into your blood. Your liver helps get rid of fetal billirubin. A newborn baby that has high levels of billirubin may show signs of jaundice. Jaundiced babies have a yellowish tint to their eyes and skin and are often treated with phototherapy. Your baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and your baby may stroke its face or feel her arms and legs. Your blood volume has increased more to meet the demands of your pregnancy. Most of the increase is in the form of plasma, the liquid part of your blood. This has the ability to dilute your blood and give you physiological anemia, which occurs during pregnancy. The measure of blood dilution is called Hematocrit and the levels reach their lowest points this week. You should check with your doctor to make sure you are not developing more serious forms of anemia. Your baby now shows an extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth).

16 Months

Brody turned 16 months last week. It's hard to believe how big he's getting and what a big boy he is!

We are enjoying having him all to ourselves for the summer. He's quite the busy boy and keeps us on our toes.

WORDS:
We have a lot of new words this month. Night-night, bubbles and MY bubbles(when we are putting them up), balloon, NO,NO, Andy, Ben, birds

FAVORITES:
Cheese, bubbles(obsessed), Wonder Pets, Mickey Clubhouse and of course baseballs, bouncy balls and golf balls.

BUBBLES!

FIRST:
He got his head shaved for the first time! It's SO hot here and anytime he would get in his carseat or go outside his hair would be dripping wet. So I decided to shave it on the highest guard to help keep him cool. He definitely looks cute but I also like him with hair. It can grow out in the winter I suppose. He really loved getting his hair shaved except when it tickled or when the hair was getting in his face or on his neck and drove him crazy, I had to quickly throw him in the bath tub because he was spasing out about it.

TEETH: Brody's teeth our the slowest things to come in, it literally takes 4-6 weeks for a tooth to come all the way in if not longer. He now has 4 on top and 4 on bottom and I think another one on the way by the way he's chewing on things. Which is good because he loves to EAT! Right now he loves watermelon but will literally eat anything we give him which makes it extremely easy.

He is also quite the climber. He loves to sit on the bed, couch or chair by himself and will use other objects to climb on higher objects. And he is not afraid of heights by any means which makes Mama very nervous.

I also think he's entering the terrible two's unless it's just normal to throw fits at this age! He knows he cannot hit others so when he's mad or frustrated he hits himself. It's very funny when he does it while he's made a me because he gives me the most terrible look like I hope that hurt you Mama! Such the dramatic

Here are some pics of him getting bad because I told him we needed to change his diaper. He ran away from me and when I went to get him he proceeded to hit and bite himself, like I said...DRAMATIC!


~Notice the hair in these pics but shaved head in above pics!~

Being a goof!

Doc Update

I went to the doctor yesterday because Dr.B wanted me to have another ultrasound to check my cervical length.

I wasn't expecting to even see the baby but the tech went ahead and did a biophysical profile on Jaxson. He's measuring right on track and looks really good. They check his heart again and we could see the four chambers. He checked his head, stomach, leg and arm bones and they are all measuring right on track. We could even see him swallowing and sticking out his tongue.

My cervix did shorten from 4.3 centimeters to 3.8 cm. The tech said he didn't think it was a big deal because they consider anything above 3 cm to be good but he would run it by Dr. B and see what she thinks. She wants to keep her eye on it anyway so I'm sure she will just keep checking it.

I'm still having random contractions depending on if I need to go to the bathroom, Jaxson's activity level or what not but I'm assuming it's just irritable uterus.

I keep trying to scan the ultrasound pics but everytime I go to do it something comes up so I will definitely try and get those up tonight.

Til tomorrow,
LeAnn

21 Weeks & Doc Update

Little man has a major sweet tooth craving! I never really craved anything when I was pregnant with Brody but with Jax I'm craving everything!

I ended up at maternal observation for several hours on Wednesday due to contractions but all is good and they checked my cervical length via ultrasound and it's a great 4.2cm. The tech said anything over 3.5cm is what they want.

I met with Dr. B yesterday and she is going to recheck my cervical length on Monday and we will go from there. As long as it doesn't start to shorten she won't put me on bedrest(thank goodness!) We will then return in 2 weeks to begin the biophysical ultrasounds on Jaxson to make sure everything is right on track. We will start those at 24 weeks and repeat every 4 weeks as well as check on the cervical length every 2-4 weeks depending on what my uterus is doing contractions wise. We will also begin the FFT test at 24 weeks. I'm very relieved and happy about this plan. Anything to keep me out of the bed!

Jaxson's 21 week development:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a banana. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby. Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. You should be able to feel your uterus about a half of an inch above your navel. Your weight gain so far will be around 10 to 15 pounds. As your baby begins to lay down more fat, your weight will also increase. During the next 10 weeks, you will gain about half of the total gain for your entire pregnancy. Strangers can now tell that you are pregnant! You might notice an increase in appetite because you need 500 more calories a day to support your charged up metabolism. It is best to avoid processed foods or foods high in fat, calories or sugar. Some women also get strong cravings for foods. If you notice a craving for something unhealthy, you should contact your doctor. Craving for unusual things is known as pica. Some women crave cigarette ashes, charcoal, beer and other non-food items during this time. Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also. Don't be surprised if your legs and feet become swollen throughout the day. You should try to get off of your feet some throughout the day and prop your legs up. If you notice a substantial amount of swelling, you should contact your healthcare provider for evaluation

Have a great weekend!
LeAnn

Fantasy Land

This is where B says I live, in a fantasy land. Well, shouldn't we all.

You know how they say you do things faster with your 2nd pregnancy. You start showing faster, you feel the baby move earlier, you have a faster labor.

Yea well apparently I'm going to start CONTRACTING earlier!! I was 27 weeks with Brody when the contractions hit and stayed. Well I've been contracting for the past 3days. I've tried to ignore them but they are just getting more frequent and are probably here to stay. I can tell they are just uterine irritability and hopefully nothing to worry about but dang it! I cannot go on bedrest this time around, it's going to be impossible with a 16 month old.

I guess I'm disappointed but I was so hoping this pregnancy would be different than Brody's and it still might be.

I called and let the Doc know and I have my monthly check up tomorrow. She said we will discuss our options then and she will check my cervical length if need be.

It just makes me feel so frustrated!! URGH

I'll update with Jaxson's 21 week development later today or tomorrow.
Til then,
LeAnn

Lil Mac: 20 Weeks

So I decided to have Brandon take a belly picture because we haven't taken one in a couple of weeks and WHOA! I cannot believe how big I am and how much I've grown. Honestly I haven't had time to obsess over my growing belly like I did with Brody and since it's summer right now I kinda just roll outta bed, get dressed half asleep and head to summer school. Apparently I shouldn't feel too bad considering Jaxson is the size of a cantaloupe right now. He's a growing boy! He's also a lot calmer in utero than Brody was. Brody literally beat me up from 18 weeks on.

Here's the belly shot at 20 weeks:


Mommy update: I've been doing really well. So far this pregnancy has been a lot easier than Brody's but I knock on wood anytime I think that or someone else says it. It wasn't until 27 weeks that I started the constant, non-stop contractions that put me on bedrest for 10 weeks. I'm teaching summer school right now and this will definitely be my last time doing it. I don't know what I was thinking! It's torture but luckily it's only for 2 1/2 weeks.

Brody definitely knows that something is going on in mommy's belly. He now says Bubba and knows where he is. We are turning his playroom into the nursery so he also goes in there quite a bit forgetting that he has a new playroom and will say Bubba as he realizes that is his room now. The only thing that concerns me is I'm not sure he realizes that Bubba is a baby that will be here soon. We have been seeing a lot of babies lately and Brody is very interested in them and is also very sweet and gentle towards them. So I'm pretty sure he will transition beautifully and love his baby brother.




Jaxson's Development at 20 Weeks:
Congratulations! This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces (Jaxson weighed 8 oz 3 weeks ago so I'm sure he's passed this up) and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your waistline has expanded and is no longer visible. Your uterus has now moved up enough that it is pushing your abdomen outwards. The top of your uterus is even with or just below your navel. She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). For the remainder of your pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on your lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make you feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on your abdomen can also cause your bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well. Your abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as your baby grows inside of you. Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.


BRODY:
Is a trip! He's getting SO BIG. I look at him and ask myself how can you grow that fast! He has several new faces that he makes, loves to make himself and us laugh and is crazy about baseballs, golf balls, bouncy balls, bats and golf clubs. We have to avoid the area at Walmart where they are located because he will try to jump out of the cart if he sees one. He is also a climber! Anything that he can climb he will. We introduced the playground down the street to him and he loves the big boy slide. He will try and go down it by himself if we aren't fast enough.




We are working on cutting out his bottle completely, I know I know this should have been done a while ago. He doesn't have it anymore during the day but really wants that ba-ba at bedtime so hopefully over the next few weeks we can cut that out as well. Any suggestions on the best way to do that would greatly be appreciated and I'm not the type of mom that does the whole cry it out.

We go back to the doctor next week on the 17th to check on Jaxson's growth, although I don't think we will do an ultrasound.

Til then,
LeAnn

19 Weeks ~ Halfway

Since I get induced at 38 weeks at the latest I am technically halfway through this pregnancy...HALFWAY! Seriously, where has the time gone. I cannot believe in just 19 short weeks our family of 3 will be a family of 4 and we will have a new bundle of joy.

Everything is going great. I'm starting to grow more which I figured would be the case since I've read Jaxson goes through a growth spurt for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes I think I've grown overnight!

I picked out Jaxson's bedding and Nana is going to make it. We've changed up the house a little bit and the playroom will be the nursery, Brody will stay where he is and we changed the front guest room into a guest room/playroom. Brandon is hopefully going to paint this week for me in the new nursery and we will get the furniture from Aunt Marcy's next week sometime.
Here's a sneak peek at what the bedding will look like



Jaxson's Development at 19 weeks:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

We are wrapping up our last week of school. I cannot wait to have Brody and Daddy all to myself this summer. I've decided to teach summer school and B has several classes and camps to attend so we should keep pretty busy. But none the less we will have a blast. Aunt Marcy's pool has been calling my name for a week now! Hopefully once things slow down we can get over there, this momma needs some color on her skin!

Til next time!
LeAnn