baby update

April 12, 2014

17 weeks, 6 days

This picture already seems outdated now, since I'm 19 weeks.  Life is kind of busy around here right now, so getting regular bump photos doesn't seem likely.  I was hoping for another one on Easter, but that was a crazy day, and no pictures were taken at all!

I figure it is about time (almost half way through this pregnancy? whoa) to jot down some thoughts about being pregnant the second time around.

One thing is for sure, it is much harder to be pregnant when chasing a three year old around, and not just sitting calming at a desk!  Thankfully, though, I had no morning sickness or other pregnancy related issues.  (I've been sick a couple of other times, just regular flus and things - not fun).  The only weird food thing I have is that I can't seem to eat plain avocado (the horror!), but can eat it fine in things, or as guacamole. Go figure. Like with Kyalo, things seem to be going smoothly enough.  No complaints!  One big difference is that I'm fairly sure I started feeling this baby kick around 10 1/2 weeks, while with Kyalo is was probably not until about 18 weeks.  Maybe I just knew what to expect this time around?  

And let me tell you, going to an OB in America vs Kenya?  A whole different ball game!  For one thing, so far I have had ONE doctor, and not the latest visiting OB like in Kenya.  I had my first ultrasound at 8 weeks, and the seat was heated, and she apologized that she didn't have the gel warmer!!  The heated seat still seems like luxury to me.  My first real ultrasound in Kenya I almost left in tears because it was so different from my (TV-induced) expectations.  I've been trying to keep expectations low this time around so that I'm not disappointed.  Another big difference is the medical stuff that we do -- lots of lab work, fancier ultrasounds to determine the anatomy of the baby is OK.  My insurance doesn't cover it, but by now I could know the sex of my baby, and if he/she had any abnormalities to be concerned about.

In some ways, I'm missing the simpler experience I had in Kenya.  I miss being able to dash down to the hospital for my appointments, and feeling like this was all a normal, regular thing, and not something to be hyper worried about!

I must admit to a heightened sense of anxiety about this pregnancy, though.  I had a miscarriage in November, and while I was able to get pregnant again so easily, I still get worried with every twinge or moment of pain.  Being sick twice in the past month hasn't helped my anxiety level either - I'm afraid this baby, even if fine now, will suffer the effects of these sickness somewhere in the future.

There are just a few more appointments for me here in NJ, and then I have to find myself a new doctor in Maine.  We move in June, the baby is due in September, so there should be enough time.  I'm telling you, things are moving at lightening speed around here.  Between Kyalo's birthday, Easter, being sick, graduation in a month, the big move, etc, I've hardly had time to think about this baby much!  I'm getting excited - and I know Kyalo is, too.  He still says to me at random times, 'No! I want a sister, not a brudder.'  Let's hope I don't disappoint!

36 months

I have had some veteran moms tell me that three is more 'terrible' than the terrible twos.  We're a week and a half into Kyalo's being three, and I think I'm already seeing the signs that three is going to be harder than two was.

That being said, there's still a lot of great things going on with Kyalo.  He continues to bring joy and amusement to our days, and cliche though it is, can't imagine life without him.  All in all, the one word I would use to describe him is happy.  He is so easy going (most of the time - more so when we're out of the house, thankfully), smiley, and calm.  In general, I'd say he's even-tempered, but lately I've been seeing his anger come out.  He doesn't really throw the typical tantrum, but he does grind his teeth and make a lot of noise. Kind of hard to explain, I should try for a video one of these days!

So, some things of note from this month.  I guess I'm going to have to start writing these things down in a journal now that I'm ending (I think) these monthly updates.

He ALWAYS wants to know, 'what time it is?'  as in, he'll ask, I'll tell him, '4:02' and then he'll ask again, so I'll tell him, '4:03'.  I was telling Dexter we should decorate his room in clocks so he can always tell what time it is.  When do kids start to learn to tell time? Because I'm ready for him to be able to read a clock!

He's big into asking 'why?'  This is a question that can really put me over the edge, because there are only so many answers I can come up with.  Plus, he'll ask what time it is, then I'll tell him, and he'll ask 'why?'  Um, cuz it is, kid. Because it is.  Also lately he's taken to asking why twice in the same sentence.  For example, he got a second birthday card in the mail last week and he asked, 'Why did I get another card? Why?'

Every morning he asks Dexter to make him a 'peanut butter and jewwy sammich' (PB&J, in case you can't speak toddler) as a sort of pre-breakfast.  I can't understand it myself, but I bet he has it five days of the week.

He still can't really count - not even to five, let alone 10 or higher.  The other day we were in the car and he was counting something like this:  ' 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, SEVEN!'  Dexter asked me how homeschooling was going. Ha. Ha.  And even the other day, we were counting, 'One, Two. . .' and I asked him what comes after two and he said, 'Four!'  Sigh. I feel like we do a lot of counting in life between books and counting things like stairs or items or whatever we can, but for whatever reason it just isn't clicking yet.  Soon, I guess.

He's pretty excited about being a big brother.  Kyalo had to come with me to my first OB appointment where I got my first ultrasound (about 8 weeks), I showed him the picture and said, do you want a brother or sister.  He immediately said, 'Sister!' which surprised me.  And he has continually asked for a sister since then.  Which is funny because I want him to have a brother.  Oh well, not much we can do about it now.  Sometimes he'll even come up to me randomly and say, 'I want a sister, not a brudder.'  So, there you go.

Kyalo still loves to be outside, and I think his favorite thing is probably a stick.  Most boys his age like cars or trains or something like that. He does like those things but doesn't seem super attached to them.  But he'll have a melt down if a stick he left in the sidewalk isn't there when we return from a walk.  I'm thinking Maine is going to be a great place for him!

And thus ends three years of monthly updates!  I can't believe I stuck with it for all three years...but I'm so glad I did.  I think some day, he will be too.

three!

Last week Kyalo's much-anticipated, much-talked-about birthday arrived!  Unfortunately, I was sick all weekend and week, so a few of the small things I had planned had to be pushed to this week.  Still, I rallied enough to try to make the day a bit special...and I'll hold out that turning 4 will be the blow out he's looking for.

In addition to my being sick and on the couch, the start of our eagerly-awaited Music Together class didn't happen because the teacher thought it starts this coming week.  Poor kid, foiled at every turn.  Thankfully my friend Gina is coming to MT and took us out for some awesome pizza.  Since I wasn't cooking or baking anything, we took Kyalo out for ice cream, after presents, after he kept asking, 'can we go to my birsday now?'

In the morning, before Music Together, we headed out to feed the birds some scraps of bread.

This face has been so kissable and smoosh-able since day one!  It just keeps getting better.

Thanks to Grandma, he had a few presents to open.  We also gave him a couple of books.  Since we're moving to Maine in just a couple of months (!!!) I wanted some Maine-themed stories.  I got the classic, Blueberries for Sal, and got it as a book on CD.  He's loved that, and as of yet, I haven't had to read this book to him.  He doesn't quite get the concept of turning the pages when the little bell chimes, but he seems to enjoy it, and it keeps him entertained for 20 minutes!

always happy, but opening a few presents really brings out the smiles

This was the other book we got him, I Met a Moose in Maine One Day, and he insisted that I read it right away.  I love both his cute little grin in that top photo, and the hand on his cheeks and the intensity with which he's listening.  I'm pleased with our purchases.  :)  I think he's ready for Maine, though he may be disappointed to realize he'll never have a moose in his bathroom!

I felt bad that we didn't have anything to put a candle in on Thursday, so on Friday, I whipped up a batch of yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  We forgot to actually sing to him, but at least we had him blow out some candles.

I tell you, party planning is hard work!

Looking at the pictures of the cupcake they look kind of pathetic.  But, as you can see, they certainly did the trick for Kyalo!  We'll have more cupcakes this week, I think, so he still has plenty of time to 'go to his birsday'

Since this is more of a birthday recap, I think I'll push some of the monthly updates to another post.  I think I'm going to have to start a 'chats with Kyalo' topic because he's really saying the cutest things right now.

Happy Birthday to our little man! We love you so much!