26 weeks

This week, I had to go back to the doctor to take the 3 hour glucose test. Basically, you drink the same size bottle of glucola but this one has twice the concentration of sugar... so 100g of glucola, which equals 400 calories of "stuff" that is disgusting and extra syrupy. They test your blood sugar levels at 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours following the time you finish the drink. My level after the 1st hour was 139, which is low enough to pass for all three hours (and ironically, was lower than my level of 141 after the initial glucose test, which only required drinking 50g of glucola). So, my advice to you is, when you schedule the glucose test, don't do it the morning after a 14 hour drive because the drive (and Dr. Pepper, milkshake, cookie, etc) will mess with your results and cause you to waste a bunch of time sitting around the hospital loaded up on glucola.

I'm still feeling good, though the last few days I have been a lot more tired and I even went to sleep before 9 a few times this week. My back has also started to get stiff, though thankfully this can be fixed by going to the gym. This is a really good motivator for me to work out nearly every morning. I've gained a few pounds in the past 2 weeks and I think my total is +3 (or really, +11 from my lowest point). I just looked back at my pictures from Elise and at 26 weeks with her, I was also +11 from my lowest point. For some reason, my heartburn has been virtually nonexistent for the last 2-3 weeks, which is amazing! Hopefully it won't return.

It is beautiful weather in Alabama today so we took Elise to the Montgomery Zoo. We got in for free because our pass from the zoo in Waco is still valid.

Jack at 26 weeks posing by the zebras

Elise at 26 weeks

I'm in the process of switching doctors and hospitals and I'm going for the initial appointment with a nurse at my new doctor's office on February 7. I'm excited because the birthing facilities at this new hospital are much nicer and I think the jacuzzi tub in the birthing suite will help a lot during labor. I've been thinking about the labor a lot lately and trying to figure out how to have a better experience this time around. I'm planning to go into it with an open mind again (regarding pain meds) and I am hoping to labor longer on my own before (if) I get the epidural so that it doesn't cause me to stall and have to labor even longer. I had a really long labor with Elise (36 hours) and the epidural was in for the last 12. It was definitely wearing off before she was done being born and I would love to avoid that this time. This is more info than you probably cared to know about 26 weeks. I have a feeling the last 14ish will fly by.

Some baby/kid things that I love right now...

We've gotten a few new things over the last month that I love and want to share with you. Happy shopping!

Aden and Anais Dream Blanket

I have been eyeing these for a long time but the price tag kept throwing me off. When Elise got a Visa gift card from her great grandparents for Christmas, I decided to use it to splurge on this blanket and I am so glad that I did! It is so thick and cozy and the perfect blanket for sleeping and napping in the cold months. I went with this in lieu of any special bedding for her toddler bed. (As it turns out, we put the crib back together since she didn't show any interest in the toddler bed and slept in the pack and play for several days instead. The whole sleep issue last Monday and Tuesday disappeared by last Wednesday and we are so thankful! No more climbing out and no more fussing at bedtime. Whew!) I think I am going to get the Star Bright dream blanket for Jack when he is old enough to sleep with a heavier blanket (probably his second winter). Pink does not match Elise's room, but I wanted her to have her own girly blanket, so I've put away all the aqua/brown blankets that she used to sleep with so that they are still in good condition for Jack.Summer Infant Best View Video Monitor

We ordered this in a panic on the day that we turned Elise's crib into a toddler bed (obviously not knowing that we'd be changing it back a few days later) and we are trying to figure out how we lived without it for 2 years! This thing is so awesome and I'm definitely going to keep my eye on the price of the extra camera so that we can eventually have one in both kid rooms. We love the panning and zooming feature of this monitor.

Plan Toys Cone Sorting Toy

Elise got this with some Christmas money and it has been such a fun toy for her! She loves putting things back together (like nesting cups and boxes) and she has a lot of fun putting this together, taking it apart, and repeating the whole process.
Beco Butterfly 2 Carrier

This isn't a new item but I just have to put in another plug for it. I bought this when she was 7ish months old and the Baby Bjorn was hurting my shoulders. In my opinion, this is definitely the best and only baby carrier that you need. Jenni, I haven't talked to you about it since we bought them... I'm just curious if you agree? I also have a Baby Bjorn and a Maya Wrap, but I think I will sell those after Jack is a few months old and just keep the Beco. I still use it for short trips in and out of a store with Elise, and it is still comfortable with me being 25 weeks pregnant and her weighing around 30 lbs. It is very easy to get her in and out and it comes with an infant attachment that I am excited to try with Jack. We have the espresso and it comes with black straps, so I feel like it "goes" with just about everything I wear. I also got a mini Beco for Elise as a big sister present so that she can carry her dolls and stuffed animals around.

2 years old - The Pictures

I'm going to divide the 2 year post into a few different posts so that it isn't quite as long (and because I haven't finished typing the 2 year post). We celebrated Elise's birthday with her grandparents on New Year's Eve while we were in Texas. We ate Chipotle, opened presents, ate cupcakes, and played. She loved having all 6 of her favorite people in the same room.

She got some fun books and duplo furniture pieces from Mimi and Pop, and some fun books and new charms for her charm bracelet from Gram and Grandpa. She absolutely loved opening the presents and was obsessed with all of the books. This picture below was taken right before she opened the book and exclaimed "This looks like fun!"


We couldn't get her to look at the camera in either of these pictures because she was so intent on reading the new books.


A chocolate raspberry cupcake for the birthday girl...


Mini cupcakes for the adults...



Pictures from her actual birthday (January 23)... and a few quotes.

"Eeesee got a new kitchen for birthday! From Mommy and Daddy. This is Eeesee's new kitchen."


We got a free birthday cupcake from Barnes and Noble since we joined the kids' club. Elise was very excited to pick out the "red cupcake". She kept saying "I like icing, I like icing!" Definitely a mommy's girl :)

Saying "I'm two years old!" with a mouth full of cupcake.

She ate most of the cupcake just by licking it off of her fingers. No kidding, this girl loves icing.

#2 has a name!

We decided about a month ago that baby #2 will be...

Jack Michael Powell

Elise is very excited about "Baby Jack" and upon mention of his name, she often comments about his location ("He's in Mommy's tummy"), possessions ("He has a pillow"), and his upcoming arrival ("He's coming in May. Go get him?")

I ended up finding some bedding at Pottery Barn Kids to match the colors of the Haba toys that I am using to decorate his room. Elise had a blast playing in it. It arrived while we were in Texas and we set it up in the crib in my mom's house. Jack's crib will probably be dark wood like Elise's, but we haven't ordered it yet. The bedding colors are a little bright compared to Elise's room, but I think I will get used to it. I'm trying to decide which side to face out of the crib.


On that note (talking about cribs), the day after we drove back from Texas, and COMPLETELY out of the blue, Elise decided to freak out when it was time to put her in her crib for nap time and bedtime. She has always been the easiest child in the world to lay down for a nap or for bed. You just read her a book, tell her it is time for bed, pray with her, lay her down, cover her with a blanket, and say goodnight. She did wonderfully at all of the houses she slept/napped at while we were away from home for 4 weeks. Anyway, on Monday, she screamed and cried and climbed out of her crib repeatedly. Eventually, we set up the pack and play and she asked to sleep in it and slept 12.5 hours. On Tuesday, she freaked out at nap time and I ended up putting her crib mattress on the floor because she climbed out of her crib and her pack and play. I put a child lock on the inside of her door and just closed it. She screamed for a few minutes and then slept on her mattress for nearly 3 hours. On Tuesday night, we converted her crib to a toddler bed and she played in it happily for a while. When it was time for bed, she freaked out again and asked to sleep in the pack and play. So, we set it up again and she slept for 13 hours. Today, she freaked out again for her nap and didn't want the pack and play, but ended up climbing in her toddler bed (after screaming for a few minutes) and sleeping for nearly 3 hours. We made a huge deal of her accomplishment and even called the grandparents to tell them about it. She walked around saying "Elise slept in big girl bed and Mommy is so proud!" Well, tonight she freaked out again and ended up going to sleep in the pack and play.

We bought a video monitor and will be interested to watch what happens over the next few days. We were definitely thinking about making the switch before Jack comes, especially since it is already getting hard for me to lay her down in the crib with a belly, but I wasn't planning to do it this soon! At this point, we'll probably keep the pack and play and toddler bed set up in her room.

I should feel blessed that this is the first big sleep issue that we've had to deal with in 2 years, but I am very frustrated that there seems to be no explanation for this bizarre behavior. The kid used to LOVE going to bed and would ask to be put in her crib. Maybe she was just moved around too much while we were traveling. If anyone has dealt with a similar situation, let me know! Thankfully, she's still sleeping well... she's just not going down easily.

24 weeks

We just got back from almost 4 weeks in Texas. We had a great time but are very glad to be settling in at home. Elise and I got to see a bunch of friends from high school, college, and beyond and it worked out wonderfully. We got it at 10:30 on Sunday night and I had an appointment at 8:30 on Monday morning. The belly measured perfectly on track and I gained 5 pounds in the 4 weeks since my last appointment. This is less than I expected considering that I have been eating a ton of food lately! It is good to be pregnant over the holidays. That brings me to +1, since I originally lost 8 and then have gained 9 in the last 7 weeks. I think I'll probably end up at about the same weight as when I delivered Elise. I'm still working out and feeling really good but I decided to stop running last week. My endurance is fine but it was starting to ache and be uncomfortable to run... not a good combination. For now I will just walk or use the cardio machines at the gym.

At the appointment, I also had the dreaded glucose tolerance test, which basically starts your day off with a jolt of sugar and then leaves you feeling terrible the rest of the day. My blood sugar level was 141, and to pass the test you have to get 140 or under. If it is 200 or over you are automatically diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and if it is between 140-200, you have to take another test to check everything again. So, basically I have to go back and take a longer test next week to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes. I think my high sugar level might have something to do with the Dr. Pepper, chocolate milkshake, and large cookie that were consumed on our drive from Texas to Alabama the day before the appointment, haha. When you are driving that far with a toddler and a dog, you gotta do what you gotta do :)

Here is my 24 week picture, taken after my brother's wedding last weekend. Elise was a flower girl and did a great job! I'll post more pictures another time.

22 weeks

The belly has grown so much in the last 2 weeks (and I have definitely gained several pounds!). The baby is getting stronger and I can feel him kicking while I am standing or just walking around. I think my running days are coming to a close. Yesterday I ran/walked 3 miles, but the running was pretty uncomfortable and I had to stop and walk several times just because it felt like things were moving out of their original place (for lack of a better description). I would walk for a while and feel normal, start running again, and then have to repeat the walking. My endurance level is pretty good so I think I'm going to try the elliptical machine or maybe just walk.

22 weeks and exactly 29 years old...

22 weeks with Elise (but only 26 years old... sigh)

I think my jeans might be disguising the real size of the belly. To me it looks like about the same size in both pictures but I think this baby might be a little higher up. I'll try to remember to take a picture in my running clothes tomorrow for a better comparison.

Elise has been walking around all day saying (unprompted) "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" and giving me hugs. She has been very affectionate lately and we are loving it.

23 months

Elise turned 23 months last week and I made a list of some funny comments from the last few weeks. The girl is such a chatterbox and she makes us laugh all the time. In no particular order...

#1
We were playing at the park...
Steph: "Did you poop?"
E: "We need to change my diaper."
E: (looks around the park) "I don't know where changing table is!"

#2
Pop and Elise were playing in the living room
Pop: "I'm going to lay on the couch to take a nap."
E: "No, Pop sit there!" (pointing at the seat that he was getting up from)
Pop: (sits back down and keeps playing for a few minutes)
Pop: "I'm going to lay on the couch for a little while." (moves to couch and lays down)
E: (grabs Pop's hand and tries to pull him off the couch) "No, Pop take a nap later!"

#3
We pulled up to Gram and Grandpa's house, which has a divided garage with two doors and an exterior door to the house... We've never talked about them having "two garages" before.
E: "I see two garages! And one door!"

#4
For a while, Elise went through a phase of wanting us to hold her cup for her to drink. Thankfully, she seems to be out of that now, but this happened at dinner a few weeks ago...
E: "Mama hold water!"
Steph: "Elise, can you hold your water like a big girl?"
E: (hands cup to Mike) "Daddy hold it like a big girl!?"

#5
Pulling into the Walmart parking lot...
E: "We need a parking spot. How about right here?"
(we pull into the spot)
E: "We parked! Eeesee go in Walmart?" (she refers to herself as Eeesee or Eyeese)

#6
Watching for squirrels at Gram and Grandpa's house... (a variation of this monologue occurs every time)
E: "I see a quirl!" "He's playing in the trees!"
(squirrel disappears from view)
E: "Where did he go? He'll be back."
(squirrel reappears)
E: "There he is! I see him! He's running on the rail."
(squirrel disappears from view)
E: "I don't know where quirl is. Let's look for him."

#7
driving in the car on the way to Texas (after lunch)
E: "Hungry? We're going to eat soon."
(a few seconds later)
E: "Silly goose! We already ate!"

She is getting a lot more accurate with the use of your/my but still needs some work with you/me. She likes to repeat the sentences that we say to her and you can tell that she is thinking about the order of words and grammar. It is interesting to see the wheels turning in her head as she formulates new combinations of words. She is aware of things that we need in certain situations ("My hands are cold. I need mittens." or "Mama needs a jacket too" or "We go outside. Boss needs a leash.") She also asks a lot of questions like "What is this?" (sometimes comes out like "What this is?") and "Who is that?"

She has a great short term and long term memory. For example, she remembers the order that you plan to go to different places, and when you leave one place, she will say "We're going to (next place) now." She also remembers things that she saw/did/played with at a certain place, even if it happened months ago.

She is not interested in peeing or pooping on the potty unless she has a diaper on. We bought some snowman panties for her (she LOVES snowmen) and she knows that she can wear them "when I pee pee on potty. And poop."

She is still a great sleeper and a great eater. She sleeps for 12.5-13 hours at night and 2-3 hours for a nap (totals about 15 every day) and is still very happy in her crib. We think we will turn it into a toddler bed in a few months. It is already getting uncomfortable for me to get her in and out of it and we want to make this transition before her brother is here. We considered getting a twin bed (to give baby the crib) or converting her crib to a full size bed, but she is pretty resistant to change and I think the toddler bed will be the best option for her. I also like that she'll have more floor space in her room than she would with a bigger bed. I already bought the toddler bed rail that matches her crib and I know she will love climbing in and out of it. I really want to get a video monitor before we do this :)

Here is one example of her resistance to change... At home, she takes baths in her little bath tub (I have the Primo Eurobath and it is AWESOME... thank you to Maryanne for the recommendation!) Anyway, she loves it and still has enough room to sit in it. We love the fact that it uses less water and fills up really fast. The only problem is that she HATES taking a bath in the big bath tub. When we went to visit the Majors earlier this month, I had to get in the bath tub with her so that she would get in. The same thing happened earlier this week at Mike's parents' house and it even happened back in August when we went to visit Sarah and John. I can definitely foresee a similar reaction if we tried to put her in a bigger bed right now.

She loves to read books and likes to help read them to us. She also enjoys singing songs (including the ABCs) and counting random things. Her favorite toys continue to be the "pretend" type toys, like her tea set and dishes, duplos, cutting board with fruit, etc. We were playing with her duplos and she stacked a bunch of blue pieces and then put a circular red piece on top and said "This is a radio tower!" (we see a lot of real radio towers but we have never talked about making a pretend one before). I thought that was pretty smart! She is going to LOVE playing with her kitchen in a few weeks. She also enjoys putting her stacking cups back together as quickly as she can. She is really good at it and I need to get it on video.

Stay tuned for posts on Christmases #2 and #3, 22 weeks (I have grown a lot!), and Elise's 1st 2nd birthday party! If I am feeling motivated, I will edit and post some videos.