Pregnancy #2

I'm realizing that I have spoken very little about this pregnancy. In fact, I can't believe that I am already 30 weeks! In just ten more weeks, my life will change in ways I can't begin to imagine (mostly for the good, I hope). In an effort to capture some of my thoughts this past while, here are some of my thoughts about Pregnancy #2...

Time

The time seems to be just flying by. I felt like I was pregnant with Collin forever, and we had plenty of time to take belly pictures (I've taken exactly two this pregnancy), buy baby things, decorate and organize. All we've done this pregnancy is try to get Collin situated in a new room (expect a post soon about this project).

I have to say I already feel bad for having shafted this 2nd, and he's not even here yet! He hasn't gotten a single piece of clothing yet that his brother won't have already worn. Sad huh? He also isn't getting any new bedding or newly-painted walls. I am hoping to work on some name decor for the nursery, so I guess that will be at least one thing just for him.

Poor kid - he's already living in his brother's shadow.

Two

I can't believe how soon it will be until I have two children. Collin is in for one rude awakening, the poor little guy. He is definitely accustomed to all of Mom's undivided attention. I have still never seen him play independently or with other children. He only plays with other adults - in nursery, at playgroup, at home. I have no idea what is going to happen when I nurse and nurse and nurse this new little one. I sure hope he doesn't get sick of the Elmo movies!

Belly

My body is growing much faster this time. In some ways, I'm grateful. When I moan and groan getting up and down, people can tell why. When I choose to walk slow, no one wonders what is up with that lady. When I huff and puff carrying my two-year old, it is clear that my disappearing hips are of no assistance. Unlike my first pregnancy, people have been asking what I am having and when I am due for months. When I go to the doctor's, I no longer dread the tape measure. On the other hand, this thing (aka my belly) is heavy, really heavy. My back aches, my hips hurt, and I have to pee all the time. My pants won't stay up, and my shirts won't stay down. Yes, this big belly is really causing some trouble, and I have to haul it around for many more weeks to come. Even zipping my coat today was a challenge, and last time around I wore it to the hospital when I delivered! I guess it really did remember how to stretch.

Hair

Even though I have not had the opportunity to partake of the blessings of a luscious head of hair (pregnancy doesn't seem to do that for me), I am greatly enjoying my hairless legs and armpits. That's right: It has all but completely stopped growing! If only I was able to enjoy this convenience in the summer months it would be all that much sweeter. No more shaving for me! Yippee!

Nausea

The first 20 weeks for me in both pregnancies result in loud, obnoxious wretching, which then results in 2-3 pukings per day. And then by some miracle, I hit the 20-week mark and... Ta-Da: I'm cured! Certain foods that sound delicious one day cause puking at the thought the next. Making a grocery list and going to the grocery store makes me throw up too; all those different tastes, textures and pictures just do me in. Luckily, my sweet husband has taken over grocery shopping for me for both my pregnancies for those first awful months.

On the other hand, I must say I am grateful to only be sick for half of each pregnancy, but I'm also hoping that when I have a girl (in the future?) I'm sick like a "normal" person for only the first trimester.

Lactose Intolerance

When I was unknowingly-pregnant with Collin, one of the reasons we took a pregnancy test was because my lactose intolerance was suddenly cured. My entire pregnancy and the whole time I was nursing (2 weeks before I got pregnant with this one!), I was tolerant of milk, creamy soups, ice cream, and all cheeses. Yum. I figured this blessing would continue this pregnancy.

But back in July and August, I started experiencing chronic diarrhea and stomach cramping. The only cure was to lie down on my left side and wait it out. It was excruciating. I decided to give up my two bowls of cereal each morning for breakfast just to see what would happen, and... the symptoms went away! Apparently, my intolerance had suddenly and unexpectedly returned.

Unfortunately, it seems to be more sensitive than ever, and I can't eat many milk-based products (hot chocolate) I used to be able to tolerate. I'm curious to see if my intolerance is something the baby will inherit (heaven forbid) and if I will again be tolerate after delivery and while nursing. It seems to be quite the mystery.

Heart Burn

Just like my first pregnancy, I get heartburn about every evening. Luckily, a calcium tablet is usually enough to calm it down, especially if I avoid tomato sauces and chocolate. I drink only water, and I try not to eat after dinnertime, both of which help. The midwife recommended I take two calcium per day anyway since I intend to nurse and currently have limited calcium intake (see previous section). I don't remember having this much trouble with it this early last time, so I'm hoping my death cough doesn't return.

Movement

I forgot how fun, and sometimes painful, all the kicking and squirming of a baby inside is. I love seeing my tummy jump and squirm, though the sharp jabs above my hips and into my rib cage definitely hurt. I feel such a connection to my little boy when I feel him "perk up" after meals or sugary-treats (my pregnancy weakness this time around is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups). I always wonder, Was that a foot? A hand? What is he doing in there? He always gets particularly active when I read to Collin before nap time and bedtime. Maybe he doesn't like his brother sitting on him to get closer to Mom.

Weight

I started this pregnancy at a lower weight than with my first pregnancy, but I am already at my delivery-weight of #1. The weight seems to be coming on faster, and I seem to lack any ability to control it (hm, could be the PB cups...). Luckily, Ryan bought me a new Nordic Track elliptical (classfieds for $100!) that I can't wait to get to work on when my body heals up around the beginning of March. I also hope to take a yoga class and maybe (just maybe) start running again. I just want to get in my little jeans again! I hope that's enough motivation to find the time to balance it all.

Well, I guess that sums up some of my thoughts about being pregnant this time around. I know I have neglected my blog tremendously the last several months. I just don't seem to have any creative juices anymore. Maybe they'll return? I feel like I'm just in survival-mode, if you know what I mean. Alright, 10 weeks to go...

The moment you've all been waiting for...

So, what did Ryan and Lindsey do for Halloween this year?

A cowboy

and his cows

And now for a few candids from the ward party...

Fishin' for dinner

Learning to ride his horse, with a cute little chicken in the background

Who's supposed to be wrestling who?

And why was he so eager to get away? For the cupcakes, of course.

Happy Halloween!

Annual Fall Activities

Tanner's Orchard

Collin and I made our annual trip to Tanner's with the ward's playgroup on a Friday morning.

Unfortunately, this particular Friday they decided to charge the weekend rate ($5 per adult, $7 per child) without publicizing it. Fortunately, they also decided to run the weekend activities (pony rides, barrel train rides). Unfortunately, my child is a pansy and wouldn't do any of the special rides. Fortunately, children under two get in free (Collin), and a worker lady came up to me in line and whispered, "My manager said to let pregnant ladies in for free today" (thank goodness I'm actually showing this pregnancy!).

In case you think my pansy comment was out of place, this is Collin in the PARKED barrel train ride. He would have nothing to do with parting with me to go on the moving ride.

Side Story: This month Collin has gone from calling this machine a "car," to calling it a "corn car," to (just today) calling it a "tractor." I can't believe how quickly toddlers learn!

All in all, I was pretty put out by the commericialism of it all and didn't spend a dime. Don't worry; they are making plenty!

Apple Blossom Farm

Instead of returning to Tanner's with Daddy on Saturday, we decided to head to the farm about two minutes from our house. We'd never gone before, but the playground was free (for everyone, all the time), and it was far less crowded.

We played on their large wooden toys (a dump truck, a train, an airplane, a fire truck).

Side Story: In September we went to this farm with the ward's playgroup, and Collin kept calling all the steering wheels "lights." I told Ryan about it that evening while we were driving to St Louis. We were both stumped, until we starting passing the monstrous windmills in southern Illinois, and Collin again began calling them "lights" too. LIGHTBULB: The ceiling fan in our living room has a light in the center, so Collin calls it a "light." Thus, all fans (and steering wheels with 'spokes') are called lights. Of course, now he's caught on and each time he sees a windmill he blows air to show wind. Smarty pants!

While we were there, we also took a hay wagon ride. Collin loved it! We planned on picking pumpkins, but the patch was pretty well-picked over, so we just bought two pumkpins in their store.

It was a great day. You can probably tell from the pictures that we have had an unusually warm fall around the midwest. It was in the mid-80s both days we were at the farms. Crazy for October, but really very pleasant.

Unrelated Fall Activity

Ryan needed to change the oil in his car before we headed to the farm, and we've been acquring some tools for Collin. So while I cleaned up the house, Collin and Daddy headed outside to work on the car.When I went to check on how things we going, this is the cute little boy I found. He couldn't have been happier in his goggles with his own tools under the hood. How cute is that!?

Birthdays!

With Ryan's birthday on the 29th and mine 4 days later on the 3rd, we usually implement "Birthday Week" around here and enjoy lots of fun times and lots of calorie-filled food. This year was no exception!

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we did our gift-giving. I woke up with Ry on Wednesday morning and gave him the gift that I had finally completed at the crafting-night I'd attended the night before. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of it! I made him a rubix cube with pictures of our family on each side. I was trying to find something new for his desk, while combining his geeky, mathematical tendencies. The project could use some perfecting, but overall it turned out well.

Ryan surprised me by getting a real rocking chair for the baby's room. He found it on Craig's List, and while I was out on Tuesday night, he took Collin and picked it up. I didn't even know he was looking for one! All we've ever had in Collin's room was a folding chair, so this is a real upgrade. I went to get Collin out of bed after Ryan had left for work, and ta-da: a real chair!

Since Wednesday was Ryan's birthday, we picked him up for lunch and took him to the ONLY restaurant with a waitress within 20 minutes of the Tech Center. It was packed with other employees, and it tooked 40 minutes for us to get our food. Collin filled his diaper and had to wander around twice to get the wiggles out. It was fun, but we're thinking we'll call ahead our food order next time.

The weather was beautiful, and we were able to sit outside on their patio overlooking the Illinois River. Collin was super excited when a barge came floating by too!

Wednesday evening Ryan was home for about 15 minutes between work and going to the Church for Scouts. It was just enough time for him to scarf down dinner, hence the reason we'd met for lunch. I'd told most of the boys and leaders it was his birthday, so they embarrased him a couple times with singing and such. Sweet.

Thursday

Thursday evening we put Collin down for bed a tad-bit early so we could cook our birthday treat. We LOVE cheesecake at our house, and this year I found a recipe for Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. We'll probably dub it "Oreo Cheesecake," and it was truly delicious.

After getting it in the oven to bake, we watched the season premiere of The Office (yeah, we're a week behind but we'll get caught up). It was a nice week-night date.

Friday

On Friday night, we threw ourselves a small party here in the backyard. We had warm apple cider, donuts, apples and carmel, and stuff to make s'mores. We also had a bonfire, and lots of friends came to join us. We had a great time.

Collin ended up staying up until everyone left (about 10pm!) and had quite the melt-down at pajama time, but he was in heaven with all the good eats. I even caught him at one point reaching into the donut box with his fingers gooing a chocolate-covered, sticky one saying "More." Yeah, he knows the good stuff.

Saturday

So we have a family tradition - just Ryan and I - of getting McDonald's breakfast before the Saturday morning session of Conference every six months. When Collin woke up, Ry whisked him off to grab breakfast, which gave me uninterrupted showering and getting ready time - a birthday gift in and of itself.

The last couple General Conferences we have headed to my parents' house, but this year we decided to stay home. When we were there last weekend, they set us with some "new" toys - my brothers' old Matchbox cars. He's obsessed with all cars right now. What a boy.

During Conference, he played by himself quite a bit and wasn't much of a distraction at all. I was proud of him. Unfortunately, it occurred to me that by the next time we have Conference there will be TWO to entertain, and I'm sure it won't be as pleasant for quite some time. Such is the time of our lives.

Between sessions, we put off Collin's nap (yeah, after keeping him up late; poor guy!) and headed to an SAE race by Ryan's work. We didn't stay long - it was freezing! - but Collin now says quite clearly, "Race Car - Fast!" He loved it.

This picture is a good summary of Collin's exhaustion from our Birthday Week Extravaganza. He won't sleep in his carseat for anything, but coming home from the race on Saturday he made an exception.

The poor kid was totally wiped out!

Sunday

My birthday! I didn't shower, and I didn't even get out of my pajamas! Growing up I always complained that my birthday was Conference Weekend (no sleepover parties), but as an adult I think I'm beginning to see it as a blessing - NO responsibilities: no class to teach, no meetings to attend. Nice!

We told Collin we were watching church on tv, and at the end of the day, he kept saying, "More church, more tv, more prophet." Cute huh? I guess he was a big fan of staying in his pjs all day too.

And that about wraps it up. We had a GREAT birthday week. Thanks for all the birthday emails, phone calls, and Facebook messages. Love you guys!

Father-Son Campout

Mom's Perspective
5pm: A sweet send-off. I give hugs and kisses and say farewell.
5-6pm: De-clutter every horizontal space in the house, shake all the rugs, sweep the kitchen and laundry room floors, vacuum all the carpets and rugs, empty and load the dishwasher, wipe all horizontal surfaces.
6-6:30pm: Order and pick up Olive Garden take-out (Parmesan Crusted Bisteca!).
6:30-7pm: Watch Seinfeld sitting on the living room floor with my delicious goods spread all around me. Ahh, life before children.
7-8pm: Sewing project - an extra hem onto a maternity dress. (How on earth did I wear this dress when I was pregnant before? I guess I do far more bending now with a toddler and as a Primary teacher, but seriously.)

(This picture will also serve any and all purposes to document my belly at 22 1/2 weeks.)

8-9pm: Realize I have a few more minutes and scrub spots out of the living room carpet and wipe spots on the kitchen floor.

9-10pm: Lay on the couch watching Flashpoint at a ridiculously loud volume, just because I can.
10pm: Bedtime just for me. No other responsibilities but my own teeth and my own prayers. Bliss.
8:30am: Thinking the boys would be home soon, I hurry and eat my bowl of oatmeal while reading the Ensign. Peace and quiet.

8:45-9am: With still no sign of their arrival, I clean Collin's bathroom to a sparkle.
9am-9:30am: Still no boys! I decide to start in on our Master Bath, which hasn't seen a real scrub-down since nausea began 16 weeks ago. It needed some serious attention.
9:30am: With a few things left to scrub in our bathroom, Ryan sneaks in quietly and puts Collin in his bed. A nap at 9:30? Must have been an interesting night...
SUMMARY: Sweet Heaven! When can we do it again? And how long can they keep my house clean?

Dad's Perspective
5pm: Lindsey's already got the car packed. Sweet. She's eager to get us out of here. She's practically pushing us out the door!
5:30pm: I'll just let Collin wander around the weeds with his hot dog, munching on the ends. The bugs and dirt are good for him.
6pm: It's not too bad having a little helper set up the tent, but it sure would be nice to have another set of adult hands to help with the poles.
7pm: Maybe he's not going to be such a weenie after all. At least he likes sticks and rocks.
8pm: Good times with my son around the campfire. I'm glad he's not that interested in trying to touch it. It's kinda nice that he's a little shy.
9pm: Shouldn't this little guy be getting tired? But he seems so chipper. I'll try to put him to bed.
9:30pm: Oh well, this is a special occasion. He can stay up a little longer.
11pm: I can't take it! I'm even tired. He has got to start winding down soon.
11:01pm: Oh, that was easy.
5am: Oh, right. That's why we hung a blackout curtain in his room - He wakes with the sun! Maybe I can take him for a walk?
6am: Finally, breakfast. Can't beat warm bacon and eggs on a cold Fall morning.
9am: Yikes! It's gonna rain. We better get home.
9:30am: What the ---? The Little Man fell asleep on the 10-minute drive home! Must have worn the poor guy out.
SUMMARY: I love being a dad. Father-Son Campouts are definitely better with a son.

Collin's Perspective
5pm: This is kinda weird. Where is my mom, and why isn't she coming with us?
5:30pm: Hot dogs, sweet. And I don't even have to sit in my chair? Where's my bib? I can just wander and gnaw at the ends? This is the life. Not missing Mom's rules, that's for sure.
6pm: Hm, a strange contraption. Fun, yes. But what is it for? I'd better rescue my blanket. 7pm: This is awesome! It's just me and my Daddy. And he doesn't wipe my face every 5 minutes.7-9pm: Throwing rocks into the woods, finding lots of sticks, learning "bumps" from the young men, chocolate, marshmallows, cookies... Why doesn't Mom ever give me these things?
9pm: Daddy tries to put me in the tent with Blankie, but I plead, "More! MORE! Please MOOOORE!"
9-11pm: More campfire, more chocolate, more marshmallows, more... AWESOMENESS.
11pm: Daddy decides he's too tired for any "more," and we both lay down on our mats in the tent. I'm out before Dad gets the lantern off.
5am: Up with the sun.
5:30am: An early morning walk and a snack of pears and grapes.
6am: Bacon and eggs for breakfast. I'm liking this.
9am: Clouds coming in. Dad decides to get us in the car with all our stuff. Naptime for me!
SUMMARY: More, more.

It's a...

BOY!

Two weeks ago we would have been disappointed with not having a girl, but I started feeling really good about two boys a bit ago. I thought I wanted a girl (so I could be "done"), but in all honesty I think it was the nausea talking, and two just doesn't seem like enough now. I guess we'll see if I still think that when I've got a newborn and a two-year old!

I also think two boys just two years apart will be great for playing together, though my brothers that are two years apart are like night and day and fought an awful lot. We'll hope they have at least some interests in common. At first that may just be... thumb-sucking!

He looked happy and healthy, and he seems to be quite the mover. I started feeling his movements at 15-weeks, and today's tech definitely had to stay on her toes to get these pictures. He was measuring at 20 weeks 5 days, so I'd say he's right on target with his big brother.

We are so excited to starting organizing and planning. Of course now we have to start the dreaded name-hunt too... Sigh. Such pressure.

Myrtle Beach

We just returned from a fabulous vacation / family reunion at Myrtle Beach. It was a great trip, and we are thinking it may be the first real vacation since we were married almost 7 years ago. Sad huh? Anyway, it was awesome. Here are a few highlights from the trip...

We were able to get a direct flight (that's right, Peorians) from Springfield to Myrtle Beach for Thursday night. But our week-long reservations with the family were Friday to Friday, so we stayed in a so-so hotel for Thursday evening. Collin had woken up screaming early (2am) on Thursday with a raging fever, and after a quick look-over by a good friend in the ward doing his residency here, we headed to the airport with Amoxicillin, (just in case) ibuprofen, and Tylenol. We've actually decided that a fever is a great thing on an airplane: Collin slept curled up in Ry's lap the WHOLE 2-hour flight. It was awesome. He also zonked out in the double bed - shared with Daddy - without a peep, after another dose of Tylenol, of course.

To our joy, Collin awoke Friday morning only a little out of it and definitely feeling much better. We had a few hours to ourselves - before the rest of the family got in and picked us up - so we headed to IHOP for breakfast (how's that for sampling the local culture?) and putt-putt at the hotel. It was CRAZY hot and humid, but we also went and got our feet wet in in the waves. Collin was pretty hesitant this first day. Don't worry; that wore off quickly!

By that afternoon, almost everyone had arrived, and we had been rescued from our so-so hotel and whisked off to our fancy condos in North Myrtle. My parents had gotten us two side-by-side condos, one with 2 rooms and the other with 3: each with its own kitchen, living room, double master suites, jacuzzi tubs, washer & dryer, etc. They were awesome!

A typical day went something like this - Collin would wake us up, and Ryan would get his breakfast. Ryan would leave for his morning run, and I would get Collin and I down to the beach. We'd spend 2-3 hours playing in the sand and splashing in the waves. Then we'd head up to the Lazy River and float around for 30-minutes or so. Then we'd headed back to the room, between 11 and 1pm, and eat lunch and put Collin (and sometimes me) down for a nap. Sometimes we'd do things independently while he slept (paraffin wax treatment, yippee!) or together (ping pong, bocce ball, ice cream), and other times we'd relax in the room or on the balcony. When Collin woke up, we'd head to whatever evening activity was planned.

Saturday evening we had my nephew's first birthday party. My brother and his wife made this awesome ice cream cake roll with fudge on top. Delicious! Julian got some fun gifts, but Collin ended up playing with them most of the time. And my sister and mom didn't want Collin to feel left out about Julian getting all the gifts, so they got him a Thomas the Train and a recorder. He was in heaven!

Sunday evening we met our photographer at an alternate location to avoid rain, and then got poured on for about an hour. It was very disappointing, and we were all at our wit's end. Luckily, he was willing to reschedule. Before he and the rain arrived, Ryan was able to snap a couple great pics of the kids.

Monday evening we headed to an amusement park / street fair for Family Home Evening. Ryan enjoyed the bumper cars (not recommended for pregnant women, bummer) and the Flying Bobs. Collin and I enjoyed the Thomas the Train ride, and Ryan and Collin enjoyed the Carousel. After each of his rides, Collin fiercely gripped whatever he could and whined for "more." He really did enjoy the lights and music.

Tuesday evening we went out to dinner, where the more daring of the bunch enjoyed sushi and raw oysters. I got popcorn shrimp, ha ha. Collin loved it! Then we headed to play miniature golf at a dinosaur course. Collin loved the roaring and moving T-Rex.

Wednesday evening we were able to reschedule our photo shoot at a beautiful state park to the south of town. It was a long haul but totally worth the drive. It was beautiful and completely untouched by all the commercialism. I have much higher hopes from this shoot. The sunset was remarkable, and the gentle breeze was perfect. Fingers crossed we look nice in the pics. Here are a few Ry snapped.

Thursday afternoon we headed back to the airport. I was so sad our trip had come to an end. We had been looking forward to this since last Thanksgiving. Collin, in full health, was much more rambunctious in flight, and we were glad it was just a short 2-hour jaunt. Whatever are we going to do on our two four-hour flights each way to Washington!? Yuck.

It was a wonderful trip, but we are definitely still catching up on sleep. Collin went down late most nights, and since he was on an air mattress next to our bed, he woke up and started climbing up and poking us at his usual time each morning. I didn't want to waste my vacation napping, or sleeping at all for that matter, so pregnant-me could use some shut-eye too.

It was great to be all together with my family, who hadn't been together in one place since my sister's wedding six years ago. Thanks, Mom & Dad, for a GREAT reunion.