Happy Father’s Day to Dad and Jonathon

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I am very blessed to have a wonderful father, and to be married to a man who is a wonderful father. I know that Jonathon would do just about anything for his kids. He loves to play with them and I know he is much more fun than I am. He reads to Bailey even though he doesn’t like to read. He does play-doh, and markers, and painting. He even puts on his swimsuit to play in a bubble bath with her! More importantly, he teaches her, loves her, prays with her, and keeps her safe. I am so thankful for him. We got a few great pictures on Father’s Day before church. (Note: Taylor DID have on a different outfit but right before I snapped the first picture he had a giant… incident.)

Yes, I know this is a sunhat. Once I changed Taylor into this outfit, Jonathon insisted on the hat. And Bailey is wearing a Cinderella slap bracelet. I give up…

Got a few after church too!

Wordless Wednesday- Ice Cream with Daddy

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NICU Days Two and Three

Filed Under Being a Mom, Breastfeeding, Daddy, Difficult Stuff, Firsts, NICU, Newborn- Taylor, Siblings, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

On Friday morning when I woke up (after a NOT good night of sleep, thanks to all the nurses coming in my room all night long) my OB came to visit. She said she heard Taylor had been moved, and asked how he was doing. Right after that, I went straight down the hall to visit my baby. Each time I went to the NICU, I had to call in from the phone outside the door and they would unlock it for me. They also had the foaming hand sanitizer everywhere to use. I can’t even tell you how raw my hands and knuckles were from washing them over and over every day.

When I went in the NICU they told me that they were getting ready to move Taylor off the CPAP because he was doing better! That was great news. He had been wearing a hat to hold the tube in place, so he got the hat off. I was finally able to rub his fuzzy little head! At this point he was on high humidity oxygen instead. Oh, you don’t know how good it is to feel your baby’s head until you haven’t been able to.

I was also SO jealous of the moms who had babies in the regular nursery who weren’t even holding them. It really made me mad to see those cribs parked in the nursery. Some of them even had signs “only feed every three hours” or “no pacifier please.” I just wanted to scream at those moms and say, “You can hold your child whenever you want to! Don’t be so selfish!” but yet when Bailey was in the regular nursery I know I left her there so I could nap, etc. Funny how perspective changes.

Jonathon came up after lunch and we went back down together to see Taylor. At this point he still did not want to hold him. I think honestly he was intimidated by all the tubes and wires. He kept saying that it was more important for me to hold him but I think that was an excuse. Up until this point I had also been pumping at least every three hours all day and night. I think when you can’t be with your baby it feels like the only thing you can do to help… By that evening his nurse told me she thought he was ready to try a bottle feeding. They knew I planned to breastfeed but they said we had to start trying with the bottle first. He had been too sick to nurse after his birth (although we didn’t know then why he wouldn’t). So his first feeding was at about 34 hours old. They used a syringe to put pumped milk into just the nipple of a bottle and we got to hold it in his mouth. He drank it right away and we were so happy. They had warned us that a lot of preemies (they were calling him a “late preemie” since he was born between 34-37 weeks, although he was also technically full term but exhibited a lot of preemie characteristics…) can’t coordinate their sucking and swallowing yet so this was great news.

Saturday was the day I was supposed to go home. My day nurse was awesome, though. She told me first that I could stay through dinner and then came back later to tell me she had arranged for me to be discharged after dinner but keep my room for another day.

Sometime early afternoon on Saturday, Taylor got off his oxygen and moved to forced room air. Then later that day he got taken off that too! This was my first glimpse of him without his nasal cannula. I kept saying, “He looks like a regular baby now!”

His poor little face was so sore from all the tape, though.

Jonathon finally held him for the first time since he was admitted to the NICU!

That evening, Jonathon brought Bailey up for a visit. Our nurse Kathy did a great job hiding all his wires and everything inside the blankets. I didn’t know if she would be concerned or even notice them but we didn’t want him to look “sick.”

She also enjoyed playing “This Little Piggy” with his toes… so cute…

That evening, my parents came up to visit. I brought my mom in to see him and the nurse surprised me by asking if I wanted to try nursing! He did great. I couldn’t believe it, he latched on correctly with the first try and just ate. So unlike his sissy, who took DAYS to figure out how to eat. It was so frustrating with her… so easy with him.

34 Months

Filed Under Being a Mom, Big Sister, Daddy, Diapers/Potty, Gymnastics, Talking, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

Bailey,

I can’t believe you are 34 months old. Almost three years… plus the nine+ months that you were inside me. I can’t even imagine my life without you. You just seem such a part of me, a part of our family. You are the most beautiful child I have ever seen.

Your creative side is really coming out lately. You have a love for performing and pretending. You still love to play Little People and to play Princesses with your new castle. But you also like to assign me roles to act out (and you tell me exactly what to do so there is no confusion!) You also spin and twirl while talking, and take frequent bows at the end of sentences or announcements. You like to curtsy, which we really need to get on video. You talk about what you are going to be when you grow up- either a doctor or a rock star, depending on the day. You recently told us that you were going to be a firefighter (“fighter-fighter”) and that daddy would be your fire dog! You are often heard saying things like, “Oh my goodness, I’m never gonna finish this!” or “Oh dear, I just can’t believe it.” I laugh at the little phrases you’ve picked up from us and from the television.

You are starting to have an interest in potty training. Some days. On occasion you wear underwear and try to go on the potty. You understand now whether you are wet or dry. It really just depends on your mood, but I have learned there is no sense in pushing you. If I push, you shut down and refuse to cooperate. This morning you told me you wanted to wear diapers just like Baby _____ ____. (Your brother, whose name has not yet been shared with the internet).

Speaking of your brother- you love him and you are so excited to meet him. I am still a little nervous of how it will be once reality sets in. But you like to talk to him, kiss my belly, and put stickers on my belly to share with him. You will tell anyone that you are a big sister, and what his name is, and that he is growing in mommy’s tummy. We have explained that when he is ready to come out, mommy and daddy will go to the Baby Hospital and the Baby Doctor will help take him out. Then you can come see him. You seem really satisfied with that explanation. You’ve been to quite a few doctor appointments with me and heard the heartbeat and gotten lollipops for sitting in the chair. You haven’t tried to touch anything gross (ahem, pap smear wands) in a long time, thank goodness!

Your vocabulary amazes me. You are really easy to understand- we get lots of comments about how clearly you speak. And the things you say! Long sentences that flow together really well, for the most part. Occasionally you mix up a past-tense or a she/her/pronoun. Just last night- “Daddy, today at gymnastics Mr. Mark gave me a medal. He gave it to me because I obeyed in my class.” Gymnastics is your favorite thing to do right now. Just yesterday you did a forward roll on the balance beam WITHOUT mommy holding on to you. I was there spotting you but your balance is SO good. You can also reach out and grab the rings and swing on your own, and hold the bar and walk your feet up the wall before I help you do a pullover. Next week starts the new semester and you will be in the next class up/next age group, and your teacher thinks that will challenge you a little more both with skills and with listening/following the teacher.

We are still trying to get your asthma under control. That has been our biggest struggle this fall and winter. You are now on a daily preventative medication (through your nebulizer) and you take allergy medicine. You have a nasal spray for when you need it, and also an as-needed inhaled medication. It’s a lot, but it seems to be working. I am hoping the days of throwing up from coughing are behind us…

You are such a joy. We have just two months left before your brother arrives. Maybe less. I want to make the absolute most of these two months. I can’t believe it is almost the end of our uninterrupted time together. I know once he’s here, he won’t seem like an interruption. But for now I can’t imagine anyone else being part of our perfect little world. I love you more than you can imagine, Bailey Sophia.

Mommy

Jonathon’s Birthday- Oberweis

Filed Under Birthdays, Daddy, Food, Outings, Shopping, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

Jonathon’s birthday was also in December. We celebrated at Oberweis. Pregnant ladies do not need to host lots of events at their house, in my opinion at least. The lady at Oberweis told Bailey she was the cutest little girl she’d ever seen. She gave her multiple balloons and sheets of stickers and free ice cream treats. I thought she looked pretty cute too of course!

Bailey liked her ice cream but said that she didn’t want any sprinkles next time. How was I supposed to know? She loves sprinkles on cookies!

Then afterward, we (I) convinced Jonathon to go shopping at Target all together. Bailey wanted to just sit and read in the cart. It never ceases to amaze me how much she enjoys reading.

Happy birthday to my Jonathon! I love you and I’m so glad to have you as my husband.

Pregnancy- Baby Boy- 23 Weeks

Filed Under Being a Mom, Daddy, Nursery, Second Pregnancy, Siblings, Symptoms | 2 Comments

I feel like I need to take a minute and write down some notes about this pregnancy. At some point I should probably take a belly picture, too. I was so good about all of this with my first pregnancy. I hate it, but this baby already is having to share my time with his sister. And trying to keep up with a busy two year old, plus working on my Avon business, doesn’t leave me a lot of time for writing down details about my belly growth! I feel like I am doing such an injustice to this baby. Someone with multiple children please tell me you have felt the same way.

Anyway. I will be 23 weeks as of this weekend. The time is flying by so fast. I am more than halfway there. We have the bedding and most of the room decor stuff, thanks to a great sale and my mom spotting it for me! We have moved the crib and changing table into my office but haven’t really moved any office stuff out yet. I am dreading having my office downstairs with Jonathon’s because I won’t be able to just run in and out to check email etc all the time. We need to get the downstairs set up as more of a playroom for the kids.

I am feeling REALLY good right now. At about 20 weeks my heartburn was horrible but it has actually subsided a bit. Or maybe I am being more careful about what I eat. It only comes in the evening and is usually fixable with a Tums or two at this point. I had a few days of swelling back in mid October and had to put my feet up, but I haven’t swelled at all lately either. I feel this baby move a lot. That is definitely my favorite part of pregnancy. It seems like every time I eat something he wakes up and kicks around. Jonathon says that’s because boys love to eat! Speaking of Jonathon, he has started to take a slight interest in patting or kissing my belly every once in a while. Okay like maybe once a week, but it’s really sweet! Neither of us really talk to the baby at all. We didn’t with Bailey either… to me it just feels awkward.

Every time anyone asks me how I feel I tell them I am GREAT! If this was the only part of pregnancy and I could skip the sickness in the beginning, the first trimester worry, and the feeling huge/swollen/uncomfortable at the end I think I wouldn’t mind being pregnant twenty times. I also have more energy right now than I did even a few weeks ago. It’s hard to believe that in three or four weeks I will be in the third trimester. I guess that means I should hurry up and get some things done now, before my energy dwindles again.

Some fun news- we THINK we have a name for Baby Boy. We are both pretty much decided on it but it’s not officially official yet. I’m not sure whether I will share this one or wait and surprise you all. The idea of a surprise seems kind of exciting. Our family and good friends will know but maybe not the internet, at least not yet. And since we just started working on the nursery, here’s a little glimpse:

Buncha Pictures

Filed Under Daddy, Outings, Two Years Old | 2 Comments

I have been trying to write this post for over a week now and you wouldn’t even believe the issues I’ve had with my blog. If I could go back in time I would have left it on blogspot and sacrificed the fancy options that come with WordPress and self hosting. Seriously.

Anyway- I have all these pictures that I want to share. I’ll start with some from a zoo trip a few weeks ago with Daddy. We bought a zoo membership that day so now we get “free” train rides, children’s zoo visits, etc. There is one random pic of her at home… The next ones are from another day when we went to Grant’s Farm with Daddy. Then the last two are from my Dad’s birthday in July.

Father’s Day, a little late

Filed Under Daddy, Family, Holidays, Two Years Old | Leave a Comment

I realize I am a little behind on posting. I’m still getting caught up from my week without WordPress (Thanks, Jonathon!) and from being so busy with my Avon cruise sale! Something that I mean to say to Jonathon a few weeks ago… and I might have, but it needs to be on my blog too- Thank you for being the best father to Bailey that I could possibly imagine. Thank you for playing with her for hours, and being silly with her, and teaching her, and loving her. There is no one in the world that I would rather have a family with. And I am so thankful for my Dad and Grandpa, too!

And of course it wouldn’t be a post without sharing some pictures…

My dad, Jonathon, and my grandpa- a.k.a. Papa

Daddy gets hugs from his girl

Monkey Joe’s with Daddy

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Last weekend we took Bailey to Monkey Joe’s. It was the first time for Jonathon to go there. Bailey was a complete wild woman. She is fearless when it comes to climbing UP anything. She actually climbs to the top of all the structures (including a few that some older 3-4 year olds could not climb up) but then sometimes she gets scared and has to be rescued by the Monkey Joe’s workers. I don’t want to discourage her from being adventurous, but she gets in over her head!

Here she is in the “baby area” which lasted all of about five minutes…

And being silly with Daddy!

Our goal is to do one fun activity as a family each weekend. Jonathon is off work most Fridays now for the summer, so we have more time to go do stuff. And he is starting to learn that it’s actually FUN to take Bailey places. Maybe even more fun that working on his computers…. maybe….

Not sure where to start…

Filed Under Avon, Daddy, Friends, O.T., Two Years Old | 6 Comments

because I don’t really have much to say when I think about it… but when I start writing I end up coming up with a few things. I am having a hard time getting into blogging lately. Which is probably evident by my more sporadic posting! Things are going well here.

Bailey has been seeing an Occupational Therapist for a few weeks now for her eating issues and they are improving. She is also working on movement, like swinging and rocking which she has never been able to tolerate. I have a lot to say about this, but right now I just don’t feel like typing it all out. The therapy is hard, but it is going well. I hope that makes sense. It also gives me a new respect for moms who go to therapy multiple times a week, month after month… it takes a lot out of you. We only go twice a week but I have already discovered this.

Jonathon and I are doing well. We usually are, so it’s not like that is big news, but just something I like to be aware of. I have a good marriage. I met someone a few days ago who just left an abusive marriage and her thirteen-year-old daughter was also hurt. I don’t want to get into details but ti reminds me how blessed I am.

Avon is mostly good. I worked at a career fair on Thursday and then helped my manager with some meetings on Thursday night. It was a long day but I feel like I made some good connections. I am still working hard toward winning a cruise. My numbers are good so far but I need more orders- so if there is anything you want, let me know! You can shop on my Avon site and order for Representative Delivery.

I also had a quick break in between everything and got to run into Gymboree to pick up my holds. I got some great stuff, including this dress and these sunglasses (not to wear together) but I am so excited about them!

Bailey also loves, LOVES her friends. Every day she asks me where we are going and then checks to see if we will be seeing Addison, Kenzie, Ella, and always Gabe. Gabe has been her favorite for a long time. Which is funny because they ignore each other when they are together. Here are a few pictures from a playdate with Mackenzie and baby Tristan. Bailey was obsessing over Tristan again and kept kissing him.

Mother’s Day #3

Filed Under Being a Mom, Daddy, Holidays, Two Years Old | 3 Comments

I can’t believe I have already celebrated my third Mother’s Day. (Yes, Bailey was born about a month before Mother’s Day in 2007). I am so, so thankful to be Bailey’s mom. She is better than anything I could possibly have dreamed of. She is not “perfect” but she is perfect for me. I have so much fun with her, I love to hear what she has to say and to watch her learn. I just adore her.

Here she is in her new Mother’s Day outfit. She always wears a new dress for a special occasion before it goes into the clothing cycle. I know I am weird about her clothes but I love dressing up my little girl!

My mom and my grandma… yes they are wearing the same shirt in different colors… not planned that way. I love them both and I am so blessed to live so close to both of them.

This was our dessert. I thought it was such a cute idea. Little votive holders for flower pots, chocolate ice cream, and silk flowers. Very simple but it was fun for something different. My mom is always crafty and comes up with neat food ideas. She used to sell Pampered Chef back when it was first popular (like early 90s maybe).

Bailey and Daddy They surprised me with a sweet card that they made together, and breakfast in bed on Sunday morning. I even got to sleep in late! And for dinner I was surprised again- with stuffed crust pizza and cinnamon sticks! My favorite. My gift is, um, still being decided upon. Don’t ask, it wasn’t worth the fight.

Silly monkey face girl! I love her!

Bailey’s Actual Birthday-day

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On Bailey’s second birthday, she decided to test my limits and show me what two year olds could act like! We had a crazy day at some points. We went to visit daddy at work for lunch, so she dressed up.

Say cheese!

Here she is at work with daddy. We were hard pressed to get this shot. She spent most of lunch laying on the floor under her chair, and trying to run like a wild woman through the cafeteria. It might be a while before we visit again…

After we left his work, we went to one of her favorite places… the post office! She was so sad when we left the post office. (We go there a lot to ship eBay and Avon and B/S/T stuff). So I decided to cheer her (and me!) up with a trip to Target. She loves their popcorn. She kept telling me “No no Mommy! Beelay’s turn!” when I tried to take a bite.

Bailey took a good nap that day. Daddy went and got pizza for dinner, and we gave Bailey a new Little People set. It’s a Fun Sounds Train and she loves it! There is a whole track with a station and lots of other things to play with. We had a fun and relaxing evening. I think she enjoyed her birthday.

Happy Fourth Anniversary, Jonathon

Filed Under Daddy, Marriage | 7 Comments

Today marks four years of being married. I can’t believe it’s been four years. In a way, it seems like forever. Like I don’t remember what things were like before him (although I do, you know?) But on the other hand it seems like there is no way that four years could have gone by so fast. Bailey was born after we had been married just a little over two years. That was such an adjustment. First we got married, then moved three months later, then we finally got used to living with each other and I got pregnant, then we had her and adjusted to that. I feel like we are finally settled into life. Until the next big change, but I bet that is what it’s always like.

Sometimes we get really irritated with each other. I think, “WHY did I think I wanted to be with him forever?” And then I realize that there is no way I could live without him. We fight, but not for long. We both can be kinda mean when we want to be. But most of the time we are so happy. I am so thankful for him. He is honestly one of the best fathers I know of. He rarely complains about doing things with Bailey- he plays with her, does baths, dinner, bedtime, diapers, etc and always has. If I want to go out for a girls night, he tells me to have fun and understands that I need a break. Sometimes I even come home to a clean kitchen or living room. I can ask him to vacuum or do dishes or whatever and he will do it. He is easygoing and funny and loves to take care of his family. At the end of the day, that’s what I want- someone who loves his family and would do anything for them. And that’s what I’ve got

I’m sure i have posted this before- but here we are on our wedding day- well a blurry scanned version of us anyway.

And at Sarah’s wedding reception last fall-

Snow Day

Filed Under Daddy, Firsts, Twenty-One Months | 3 Comments

Sunday was Bailey’s first chance to play in the snow. Well, last year Jonathon sat her outside in the snow in a pair of cotton pants and she (understandably) was pretty ticked off. Then she played with a snowball but she was mad because it was so cold. Remember this?

So Sunday, we just had a little bit of snow. It hadn’t gotten bad out yet, and Jonathon asked Bailey if she wanted to play in the snow. Well, I caught him about to take her outside in fleece pajamas and a pair of crocs. He’s a good dad, but you know how dads just don’t think like moms? Perfect example. So I got her a little more bundled- fleece pants with Babylegs underneath because we don’t have a snow suit. Two shirts, coat, hat, mittens. Shoes that actually cover her feet. Then we went outside.

Jonathon was up on the deck trying to add water or chemicals to the hot tub.

Come on, daddy! Come play with me! (She says, “Come on, pease! Wahr you, daddy?”)

Bailey and Daddy had fun playing in the snow. Which really was just a lot of running around…

And falling down…

We had lots of fun in the snow. We only stayed outside for about ten minutes because I didn’t want her to start coughing again. She also went outside for a few minutes on Monday. Today, she has not been out. I think the snow is too deep for her to actually have fun in. She would have trouble walking, and it takes so long to get all bundled up for just two minutes outside.

TV Buddies

Filed Under Daddy, TV, Twenty Months | 2 Comments

These are from about two weeks ago when Bailey was sick. These two are such tv junkies, I swear either one will watch just about anything. We don’t need barcode scanners to check them and tell that they belong together. They are made for each other.

You can see the sad little tear running down her cheek, my poor sick little baby.