Lilly's 2nd Birthday Festivities: Part 1

With the possibility of a baby next week sneaking up on me, I figured it was now or never for the birthday posts!  I am starting them a little less than a week late, which I think is a huge accomplishment considering I still haven't blogged about Christmas Day…whoops.  Fair warning: photo overload to come.  Another fair warning: I am writing this from the Mac and I can never get picmonkey to work properly from here so although collages would make things cleaner, I shan't do them.  SBI (not really)!

Lilly's birthday is so close to Christmas that it's hard to find ways to keep it special.  I already blogged about some of the surprises that awaited her when she woke up, but another thing we did was to continue last year's tradition of sprinkle pancakes (I just realized when looking for that post that I never actually posted a photo of it, but I found the idea on Pinterest and loved it, and Lilly loves pancakes, so clearly it was the best idea ever!  We skipped the frosting part, but luckily she didn't seem to notice.). 

Daddy went all out this year.  Guess we'll have to keep this in mind when choosing a name for Baby Boy - must be easy to write in pancake batter!  :-)

Blowing out her pancake candles.

L's birthday was on Friday, January 24th, which was a school day.  We woke her up early that morning so that we could all have breakfast together and gave her the doll accessories that we got for she and Baby Grace before school - we decided to save the rest of the presents for later so that she could sleep as late as possible.

You can't really see the high chair here, but both the high chair and cradle are made by Kidkraft.  We love them!  Easy to put together (in fact I did both by myself while Dan was out running errands for me), sturdy, and the reason I chose these in particular is that they look realistic/sort of like her high chair and crib.  She LOVES them!  And I think Baby Grace must, too, as much time as she spends in each. :-)

Birthday girl in her birthday shirt, not smiling properly per the usual.  "Cheeeeeeeese!"

I was so excited that L's birthday fell on a school day so that we'd be able to celebrate with her school friends.  It just so happened that one of her teacher's (Ms. B) birthdays is the same day!  We took a few of her current favorite books to school for the class to read, which the teachers said was a big hit (Aliens in Underpants Save the World, Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons, and Peekaboo Surprise Pops - Where's that Hippo? - HIGHLY recommend all of these, btw, they are so cute!).  I also made cupcakes (rainbow chip, of course, since it's the best, but unfortunately I couldn't find any rainbow chip icing so I had to improvise with even more sprinkles!) and Dan and I went to school about a half an hour before pick up so that we could have cupcakes and play.

Again with the cheeeeeeese!

Daddy was a big hit

Dancing to "We Are the Dinosaurs," Lilly's fav!

That evening, Dan's brother and his family came as well as my best friend from high school, Diana and her husband Brennan and their two boys, Logan and Emmett.  We let Lilly open the rest of her presents from us (a new Pete the Cat Book and a Lego Duplo set) and in typical Eaker fashion, I made a lasagna feast for dinner (which I was shocked that she would still eat, since she mostly "doesn't like" anything I put in front of her these days!).  She also got to open her presents from her cousins, Diana and family and Aunt Meredith and family.  Rotten girl!

I got to this point in the post and realized that I'm exhausted and can't face the bajillion birthday party pics that were taken at her party, which was the day after her actual birthday, so I made the executive decision to name this "Part 1" and call it a night.  :-)  Stay tuned and I'll try to post the birthday party pics at some point over the weekend.  We have L's 2-year-old well check tomorrow afternoon as well (we had to reschedule due to all of the crazy weather here!), so there will be a post with her 2-year stats at some point, too.  Lots to do, as always.

Almost Friday!

Sarah

Snowmageddon 2014

I know, I know...I said today was going to be the birthday post, but we got some snow here last night and that never happens, so I can't let today pass without documenting it.  Plus, let's be honest, I am lazy and it was a lot easier to go through the one million pictures I took today as opposed to the approximately 4 million I took of all of the birthday celebrations and activities.  Maybe tomorrow, ha!

Both Dan's and my offices were closed today as was Lilly's school, so we were all at home for the day.  I started my work day off earlier than normal because I knew I'd have some breaks strewn in for snow play, and Dan hung around for most of the day but went into work for a few hours this afternoon around lunch time to knock a few things out.  L started the day by sleeping late, and I know you are never supposed to wake a sleeping baby but I ended up waking her up because (a) I was excited to see what she thought of the snow and (b) I knew if she slept too late she wouldn't nap (and I need her to nap!!!).  

An example of "Lilly's hair is so pretty, Mommy.  Lilly's hair is beautiful."

Dan played with L until around mid-morning when I could no longer stand it - we HAD to get out in the snow because I was dying to see what Lilly would think (remember when it snowed last year and she hated it?).

Lills was SO excited, she had been talking about the snow all morning ever since I showed it to her out the window after she woke up.  Her excitement even continued while putting on her snowsuit that happens to be WAY too small (It is a size 12-18 months but it's all I had and I figured it was better than jeans!).  Seriously, look closely at the pics - the snowsuit ends around her calf and I put on extra leggings and boots to cover the gap.  HA.

L stood at the window squealing the whole time Dan and I were getting dressed.  "I WANT TO GO RUN IN THE SNOW, MOMMY!"  I assumed this sentiment would be short-lived based on last year's experience, but much to my elation I was proven very wrong.

To say that Lilly loved the snow would be putting it far too mildly.  Her little lips were quivering, she was so cold, but every time I asked if she wanted to go inside to warm up and she'd say, "No!  I'm playin' in the snow, Mommy!"

Layla loves the snow, too!

Dan went into work around lunch time, so I let Lilly eat lunch on the couch and watch a show so that I could continue to work in peace until it was time to put her down for a nap.

This child was so wound up from all of the snow fun that she would not go to sleep!  I put her down at 1:30 and she did not fall asleep until 4:00.  I was shocked, she played so hard outside that I know she was exhausted.  She was playing in her crib, singing to lovey and every few minutes yelling, "MOMMY!  I WANT TO GO PLAY IN THE SNOW AGAIN!"

I let her sleep until 5:00 so she got at least a short nap, and her first request when she got out of bed was to go back out.  She had a minor meltdown where she no longer wanted to go out to play in the snow and didn't want to put her snowsuit back on, but we braved the tantrum and dressed her back up to go back out anyway because we wanted to see what she thought about sledding.

Turns out Lills is not a huge fan of sledding.  She didn't cry, but was very serious and when we asked if she wanted to go again she said no.  I took some hilarious videos of this but unfortunately for you I am too lazy to confiscate Dan's phone and go downstairs to upload them currently.  

She did, however, love this kind of "sledding."  She squealed and giggled and thought Daddy pulling her around was the best ever.

It was such a fun day, and for the first time this week I am glad I haven't had the baby so that we could experience this together.  Note to self: buy a bigger snow suit for next year.  :-)

Hope you're staying warm!

Sarah

38 Weeks! And Last Update?!?!

That's right, folks.  This just might be my last weekly update post for this pregnancy.  See "Doctor Appointment Update" below for more details.  Since that part of the post is where most of the fun is, I'll try to keep the rest brief for the first time ever.

Size of Baby: Around 6.8 lbs (if this were three weeks ago, maybe - mine is probably 8.5ish currently if my 36-week ultrasound is any indication) and over 19.5 inches long.

via

Baby has a firm grasp, and his organs have matured and are ready to rock and roll outside of Mommy's belly.  Seems like there isn't too much happening development-wise other than plumping up.  Joy.

Weight Gain So Far:  +35 per the doctor's scale.  My home scale said +33 and I like that number better.  :-)

Cravings:  Still sweets.  You'd think I would have gotten my fill last week with all of Lilly's birthday treats but I still can't get enough!

Aversions:  Things that are healthy slash not sweet???

Symptoms:  More of the same.  Just general discomfort, which is totally normal.  Peeing all of the time - seriously for the past 4ish days I have been up once an hour at night to use the bathroom.  Every. single. hour.  Exhausted but other than getting up to pee frequently I've actually been sleeping a lot better.  Swelling (more on that below) and contractions - some of which have been pretty painful.  And he's low - so low I was sure I'd be at least 8 cm dilated when my cervix was checked today (again, more below).  OMG and constipation is back BIG TIME.  Sorry if that was TMI but seriously.  It's bad.

Movement:  Still moving a lot, but definitely slowing down.  He's running out of room, I'd imagine!

What I Miss:  Drawing a blank here.  I'm very fortunate that I'm still feeling great!

Size of a Bump:  I don't have anything to compare this week's bump to since Lilly was around a week old at this point, but the bump is definitely still in full effect.  Sweet little (not) enormous whalephant!

What I'm Thankful For:  My sweet husband, and our family and friends.  Dan has yet again been working tirelessly to help me feel ready for this baby.  The nursery is nowhere near completed, but it's organized and clean and painted and the basics are in place.  He was also instrumental in helping me pull off Lilly's birthday party over the weekend, and throughout all of it has been trying his best to make me take it easy and rest.  He is seriously the best.  Our family and friends have been so helpful as well - I have had countless offers to help with whatever we need and for that I am so grateful.  Special shout-out to Andrea for helping me organize the nursery on Sunday - after that project was completed I finally felt "ready!"  Which was good because I was pretty sure I was going to have this baby Sunday night!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Stephanie's sprinkle this weekend!  Also meeting my little man soon, and cherishing the in between time with my sweet Lilly.

Doctor Lilly.  "Mommy!  There is a polar bear in my ear!  Mommy!  There is a dinosaur in my ear!"  And yes, she still wants to wear her birthday shirt so I don't fight it.  Have you ever tried to reason with a 2-year-old?

Doctor Appointment Update:  Lots to report here.  I was having some pretty strong and consistent contractions this morning, so at the last minute I decided to throw some things in a bag just in case.  Dan said, "Ummmmmmmm are we having a baby today?"  Just trying to be a little prepared!

My blood pressure has spiked since last week.  It's been on average somewhere around 118/70, sometimes slightly higher and sometimes slightly lower, for this entire pregnancy.  Today it was 140/90 - not nearly as high as it was towards the end of my pregnancy with Lilly but high enough for the doctors to be concerned.  I wondered if this would be the case, because I really have been trying to take it easy for the past few days (with the exception of Saturday aka birthday party day) and guzzling water like it was my job and I've still had a good amount of swelling, which has not happened so far this pregnancy.

Dr. T checked my cervix - I am around 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced, and baby is head down and ready to go.  "Ah yes, very induce-able," Dr. T said.  Because of the blood pressure spike and given my history and the fact that the definition of full-term was just changed to 39 weeks, he asked that I work from home for the next week, have some more bloodwork done, and head back in on Monday for an ultrasound and another appointment.  He did not specifically mandate bed rest, thankfully, but told me to try to take it easy.  If my pressures are still up on Monday (which he thinks is likely), he said that they will likely go ahead and schedule an induction next week.  I will be 39 weeks on Tuesday, so if I had to guess, that will be the day, but we'll see next week.  He said that I "look beautiful, baby looks beautiful, and pregnancy has been beautiful."  He followed that up with, "oh yeah that's a healthy baby you've got there" and estimated "at least 8 lbs."  8 lbs I can handle, it's the head I'm worried about!

Anyway, all that to say, unless something crazy happens between now and then, we will likely have a baby next week!  Who knows, he could decide to come on his own before then, but I'm happy to have a plan at least.

Next Doctor Appointment:  Monday, February 3.  Ultrasound to measure size (eek) and then a visit with the doctor. 

So that's where we are!  I have a week to snuggle Lilly a little tighter and hold on to her only child status.  We also have a week to try to agree on a name.  Pray for us.

I'm hoping to have Lilly's birthday post up tomorrow.  It's snowing here (and sticking!  and there's a decent amount of it!), which never happens and I feel like a kid at Christmas.  Can't wait to see what L thinks tomorrow.

Stay warm!

Sarah

Remember that time I went into labor?

No?  Oh, that's probably because it hasn't happened yet.  Nope, I'm still here.  I keep putting off packing the hospital bag thinking that it will happen sooner if I am less prepared.  So far that strategy hasn't paid off, but it's okay because it appeals to my lazy side.  Instead, the boy child just gets more and more enormous by the day.  Le sigh.  I head to the doctor in the morning, so maybe I'll have some news to report after???  A girl can dream...

In the mean time, here are some cute pics of Lills rocking her new Hello Kitty robe that she got from Grandma Susie & Papa for her birthday.

She thinks she's big stuff.  Did I mention that she thought it was a coat?  Which is fine, except for the serious drama it caused this morning when she didn't understand why she couldn't wear her "coat" to school.  Oy.

We're supposed to get some snow tomorrow!  I won't hold my breath, but it would be fun for sure.  

Until next time...

Sarah

Busy Weekend

We had the best weekend celebrating sweet Lillian Grace turning two, and I can't wait to share all of the fun with you! 

Tonight, though, I. Am. Beat.  We spent the rest of the weekend getting organized and running last minute errands because I think we both thought this baby was gonna make moves today. We finally have a crib mattress, and although the nursery is far from done, I finally feel ready. Ya hear that, baby boy?  I got a manicure and pedicure today, too (GREEN, all boy thoughts!!!).  The sweet lady who did my nails told me that I look small and she thought I had a lot more than two weeks left. Bless her soul, I was worried that she was blind but she was very thorough and my fingers and toesies look fab.

All that's left is to pack the hospital bag, which I plan to do tomorrow.  I probably should have done it tonight, but my hands and feet are sausages and I have serious cankles (hence no photo of my gorgeous nails), which prompted my husband to mandate "bed rest."  He's even finishing folding tiny human clothes for me while I rest it up. Best ever. 

Anyway, I digress.   All that to say this: we're ready for ya, sweet boy, so let's do this thing, eh?  And thanks for letting your big sister have her day to herself before you made your debut. 

More tomorrow!

Sarah

Someone's gonna be SO excited when she wakes up...

For the record, I sent Dan to the store for wrapping paper and balloons and he came back with the lovely wall decor.  What happened to, "We do not need to encourage her to love Hello Kitty so we don't have to buy a bunch of Hello Kitty crap"?!  He was all, "But it's her birthday!"  Sucker.  She'll love it, I'm sure of it.  I can't believe our baby will be 2 tomorrow.