Baby #2 Update- 31 and 32 Weeks

I've been debating whether or not to share some news with you all. Frankly, I was embarrassed. It's not something I ever thought I'd be diagnosed with, and not something you want to share with everyone you know. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there could be other pregnant women out there feeling the same way. I've only been able to find a handful of other bloggers that I talked about it, and there posts have really helped. That is what I love about the blogging community anyway- a place where we can come together and share, without feeling judged or criticized.

I  also realized there are worse things that can happen. I've been very lucky. I had an uneventful first pregnancy, with no complications, and a healthy, beautiful baby girl at the end. This time around I've had a pretty uneventful pregnancy, up until now. I should be grateful. And I am. I had to take some time to wrap my head around this, and now I feel comfortable to share.

Two weeks ago I had to retake my glucose test. The first test, the one hour one, came back abnormal. So I had to go in for the three hour test...if you've done this, you know it's not fun and something you absolutely dread having to do. I had to fast, so no breakfast that morning, and arrived at my doctor's office early, around 8:30am. Thank goodness my husband was off, I can't imagine if I had to take Miss A with me. I had to be there for three hours and had my blood drawn four times! To make the most of it, I embraced the quiet time and brought along a book, my ipad, and a magazine. It was nice just to be able to sit there and do nothing..not so nice being poked and feeling very hungry.

I got a call from my doctor's office last week. Positive. I have gestational diabetes. I was pretty devastated, bummed, ashamed, you name it... I'm sure it was also the pregnancy hormones making me take the news badly. I felt like I had done something wrong. Had I done this to myself? Was my baby okay? What does this even mean?

I still have many of these questions...I have an appointment later this week to see a diabetic nutritionist. From everything I've read online, depending on the particular case, I'll be placed on a meal plan. I was told to cut down on carbs, stop eating sweets, and to up my intake of protein and veggies. I did this all immediately, but I still feel very lost and confused. I can't wait to learn more at my appointment.

In times like these, I'm so glad my husband is a doctor. He keeps telling me it's not my fault- it's just hormones the baby is producing that is affecting my insulin. He also looked at my test results and says I have a mild case. I always thought gestational diabetes was something you could get if you were overweight or an unhealthy eater..which, of course, does increase your risk. As well as age and family history. I'm not overweight, I eat pretty well, and I have no family history. So I'm still feeling pretty confused. I'm also not having a large baby- another sign of gestational diabetes. We had a growth ultrasound last week and he's measuring small, which is fine, seeing as Miss A was also a very small baby, even though she was full-term at birth, she weighed only 5 pounds! I predict he'll be the same or even 6 pounds..I don't think my body has room for a large baby. I have another ultrasound again in a few weeks to monitor his growth, which is great, I'm happy I'll be able to see how he's growing.

Besides this troubling news, I've been feeling great. Like, better than I thought I would at 32 weeks. I still have plenty of energy, I'm sleeping well (for the most part, some nights are hit or miss) and I'm so alert. More than I ever usually am! I don't know how that makes any sense but I'm sure glad for it. I've been able to do so much around the house to prepare and I'm so happy with the progress we've made. If this keeps up we'll be able to have the nursery finished really, really soon. A thought that makes me so excited. I already find myself lingering in the room sometimes, completely amazed at the thought that soon I'll have another little baby. I like to rock in the chair late at night, enjoying the peace and quiet. There's something about a nursery that is just peaceful, right? I love it.

I'll be sure to share more as I learn more about this myself. Thanks for reading, this was a pretty long post!

Weekend Blues

I don't have a weekend review to share today. It wasn't much of a weekend for us- same as any other day when it's just the two of us. We stayed in on Saturday, it was cold, there wasn't much to do. I was pretty down in the dumps, missing my husband, who has worked nearly every day since coming back from our trip home. It's exhausting sometimes, the monotony, the same tasks that have to be done day in and day out. Sunday I knew we had to get out of the house for my sanity so we went to the mall, had a Panera lunch date to satisfy my soup craving, and made some Christmas gift returns.

I found the softest, yellow bath towels for the rubber ducky bathroom along with a plush yellow bath rug. All three were on sale and I had gift cards, so I didn't pay a dime. I also went to Bath and Body Works to check their semi annual sale and was disappointed to see no candles were left, but I did get a few new hand soaps! Exciting times over here.

Walking the mall while pushing a stroller at seven months pregnant is exhausting! I had every intention to take Miss A into Barnes and Noble to look through books and play at the Lego table, but after two hours of being out, I was ready to put my feet up. So we went back home, watched the Tinkerbell movie, which she is obsessed with, and put a frozen pizza in the oven. My husband came home exhausted after Miss A was already asleep and we watched Galavant, have you seen it? It's actually pretty good! So funny.

Today I'm trying to keep my head above water until Wednesday as that's when we'll finally have some Daddy time around here. We also have Miss A's first dentist appointment this week, and I have a baby appointment, yay! Tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks, I can't believe we're at this point already. I'm starting to have those dreams- crazy, vivid pregnant dreams, most of them have been about meeting our little man, bringing him home, and adjusting to a new life. In my dreams I look happy carrying around a small blue bundle. I'm so curious to see his little face, what he will look like, if he'll have any resemblance to Miss A as a newborn. She was completely bald and so tiny. I wonder if he'll be any bigger and if he'll have hair!

Weekend Happenings

When we actually have a weekend, I like to write a post dedicated to what we did, even if it wasn't much of anything at all. Weekends as a family are so rare that they deserve to be documented!

Friday and Saturday were spent as a family of three- knocking things off our to-do list, venturing out for some playtime fun and burgers, and hanging at home. For the first half of Friday, we didn't do much. I was shocked when Miss A took a two hour nap- somehow this happens whenever my husband puts her down. Why is that! He ended up falling asleep too, poor guy is never caught up on sleep and needs to rest whenever he can. I took advantage of the quiet time and watched an episode of Reign, then took a nice hot shower, did my nails, and prettied myself up for the rest of the day. It's amazing what a little pampering can do for your mood!

After we were all up and ready, we headed to this play place that has lots of inflatables, a bounce house, and several huge wooden play structures with the fastest slides I've ever been on. Literally, you fly right off them, it's so much fun and Miss A had a blast with her Daddy. I hung back and watched most of the time, seeing as I've gotta take care of this belly and all. ;)

After burning off all her after nap energy we were hungry and left to go eat. We ate at a really good burger place, Miss A had chicken fingers and french fries, a meal she hardly ever has. She requested french fries as soon as we walked in, even asked the waitress for them herself! Luckily she did amazing through dinner and ate every last bite. Does this mean it'll be easy from here on out to take her out to eat?? 

Saturday we stayed home, except for when I left to do our weekly grocery trip, sans toddler! When I got back we crossed things off our to-do list. I snapped this picture of Miss A early in the morning while we played with her princess dolls, sitting them down for a "check up." She's very into Doc McStuffins these days. It's adorable. We talked about taking the pacifier away from her soon because this new interest might be a good motivator..she's been asking for Stuffy, Lambie, Hallie, and Chilly to complete her collection. I know we have to pull the plug..neither one of us is looking forward to it!

Anyway, more progress was made in her big girl room as I've been slowly looking for things to replace her "baby" decor. So bittersweet! Her toddler bed is all decked out with Minnie Mouse so we now have a huge Minnie decal on her wall, a yellow "You Are My Sunshine" print (she loves yellow and I wanted to incorporate that somehow), new photographs, and her chalkboard from her second birthday is finally hanging on the wall. Now I want to move her changing table into the nursery, seeing as we aren't using it much these days, and get her a bookcase!

I also washed a huge load of baby clothes- all the newborn outfits, blankets, hats, and socks. It was so exciting to fold them and place them inside little man's dresser. I love watching it fill up. Folding all those tiny outfits makes me long to meet him and brought back memories of me doing the exact same thing for Miss A. She "helped" too, taking out blankets to drape them over her baby dolls. :) I love how in to babies she is, hopefully that will work in our favor when her brother is born!

On Sunday it was just the two of us again, but we still had a pretty good day, grooving and dancing to music, making a leisure trip to Target, and catching up with family over FaceTime. This is how she looked for most of our time at Target, dark shades, snuggled up next to my large rubber duck from our baby shower, munching on teddy grahams. The life! 

Five on Friday

I really didn't mean to NOT post this week. Every day seemed to fly by as we had two play dates, a doctor's appointment, an ultrasound appointment, and random errands here and there. I meant to sit down and write a bump update earlier in the week, seeing as I'm 31 weeks now and it's been forever since I've dedicated a post just to the baby belly. Just so you know, all is well, I'm feeling pretty good, which I'm actually really surprised about, because I remember at this point with Miss A losing most of my energy. So now that I have a toddler to care for, this is great news! Hopefully I'll feel good until the very end!

Now on to some random Five on Friday shares..from makeup to the dentist to grocery shopping!

1. Mascara

I love reading about what makeup other bloggers use. I'm still learning so much about makeup and when I come across a product I really like I must share! I needed a new mascara and we were at Target this week, so I picked up Falsies, a new mascara from Maybelline. I used it for the first time yesterday and LOVED it. True to it's name, it did make my lashes bigger and fuller, while separating them and not leaving behind any clumps. Win win!

2. First Dental Visit

I'm pleased to say that I took Miss A to her first dental appointment last week! I figured taking her after turning two and a half would be a good time, as her pediatrician recommended to go no later than three years old. I also wanted to know if her teeth were being at all affected by her use of the pacifier at night, a habit we're dreading to change. Luckily, her teeth and her bite are just fine, she has no cavities (can you imagine!) and is in great dental health! She was afraid of the cleaning initially, but was so brave and allowed the hygienist to clean her teeth and be checked again by the dentist. I loved the office so much, everyone was so friendly and she got her very own bag of goodies with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and even floss to take home!

3. We love Publix

It might be weird to talk about how much I love a grocery store- Publix was my favorite place to shop back home in Florida. I've missed it so much since we moved, until now! A brand new Public opened about 20 minutes away from me and I've been looking forward to checking it out. 20 minutes isn't ideal for quick grocery trips, but when we have the time, I'll definitely be going back! And no, this is not a sponsored plug for Publix, I just love their products, their bakery, subs, and overall look and feel of their stores. 

Miss A probably had her best grocery shopping experience yet with her own little cart, balloon, and sticker! It was so cute as she followed me around the store pushing her cart, taking care not to bump into anyone or the aisles. 

4. Nursery progress 

I was so happy last week when my husband finally had more than one day off in a week and we were able to tackle some nursery projects. The rocking chair is assembled, the crib, and the dresser! I'm sorting through clothes, blankets, and going through Miss A's newborn outfits to see if there are any gender neutral ones. It's exciting to begin the process of washing and putting everything in its proper place! 

5. Tv Talk

Is anyone else super bummed that Parenthood ends this month? I've loved that show since the start and I'm seriously heartbroken that it's about to end. The Affair, which was on Showtime, also came to an end, with such a good cliffhanger! I hate when shows make you wait a whole year in between seasons. I'm also happy that the CW renewed most of their shows for next year, including Reign, which doesn't seem to have much of a following and it is such a good show! Okay, enough TV talk for now, what have you been watching lately? 

Happy Friday! I'm happy to say I'll have a real weekend and will cherish these moments before it gets crazy again. I'm linking up with the girls for Five on Friday and Oh Hey Friday. 

So, How's Potty Training Going?

Our goal to potty train Miss A by the end of the month is going so well! I could not be more pleased with her progress and with how fast she caught on. We still have accidents, usually just one, and there are still plenty of reminders and trips to the bathroom even if she says she doesn't have to go but I know otherwise. She's in undies all day, pull-ups for outings, and diapers at night. Girlfriend is no where near ready for night training as she never wakes up dry, and that's perfectly okay with me. I was reading more about night training and had no idea that it can take years for that skill to develop- the ability to "hold it" or wake up in the middle of the night if you need to go. So, no concerns on that front, we'll get there when we get there!

So daytime training- I'll give you a run through of what I did. First, you should know that we've had a potty in the upstairs bath, the kids bath, for months now. We bought it shortly after she turned two as we so happened to see a Minnie one when we were out one day at Target and hubby thought we should snatch it up as there were no others. You all know how much she loves Minnie and if there's anything that can help, she's our gal. So we bought it and set it up in the bathroom and she sparingly used it before bathtime. We didn't push it, but slowly, very very slowly, started getting her into the habit of using it right before her bath. I didn't think she was ready for more than that so we held off for awhile. I figured the best time (despite what most recommend, summertime) for us would be to try after the holidays, when we'd be in our own home, with plenty of new toys to entertain us, and no outside distractions. I started two days after coming back home from our trip.

I took some notes every day and jotted them down in a notebook for my own recollection and so I could put this blog post together for all that have asked how it was going.

Day 1: 

30 minute timers

Diaper on and off at every attempt for the potty

Lots of water, juice, and milk

Used the potty almost every time the timer went off

Day 2:

30 minute timers

Used underwear and diapers

Lots of messes- mostly due to getting used to having an underwear on

Used potty almost every time timer went off, increased time interval to 45 minutes if did not need to go after 30 minutes

Day 3: 

30 minute timers

Wore underwear for most of the day

Lots of messes

Increased timer to 35-40 minutes

Day 4:

Wore only underwear during the day

1st BM on the potty!!

Wore pullups for nap time and for outings

Day 5: 

Verbal reminders to use potty

Wore only underwear during the day

Recognizing need to go and letting me know if she needs to use potty

Day 6:

Wore only underwear at home, pull ups for outings

Used potty all on her own for the first time!

After our first week, with very few trips out of the house, we seemed to hit our stride. She was doing so well and I was SO proud of her! Yes, we did offer rewards at first- chocolate chips and marshmallows. After a few days though she stopped asking for them all together and was just going when prompted or when she needed to. We graduated to the "big" toilet a week later, while we were at a friend's house for a play date. All on her own she wanted to go use it so we did and she was so proud of herself! When we got home I detached the insert from her small potty and placed it on top of the toilet and she's been using it every since. Sure makes cleanups easier!

We've also used public restrooms several times. Ugh, I know we all hate it ourselves, I hate it even more now that I have to take her in there too. To make it better, I bring along her potty insert in a plastic bag and wipe down the seat if it doesn't look so clean with disinfecting wipes. I always try to use the bigger stall too- more room, less opportunity to touch anything, soo gross. Luckily she's done well and hasn't been bothered at all by public restrooms!

Accidents seem to occur at home if she's really distracted or into whatever she's doing and doesn't want to stop and be pulled away. So I know I have to just take her if I really want to avoid an accident, it seems it's still too soon to trust her "no I don't have pee pee" statement yet. Otherwise she is doing great! I hope to try outings in underwear soon, since she has no fear of public places, but that's more of me being ready for that than her, haha. I hope this is helpful to any who are or will be potty training sometime soon! It's all trial and error and seeing what works, every child is SO different. It really also depends on your child and if they are ready, I had a feeling she was, and if it had turned out otherwise, I would have stopped and waited more. I'm glad that wasn't the case as I was hoping to have her potty trained before her brother arrives. So step back, reevaluate, and remember, it takes a village, I could not have done it without advice from friends. Good luck!

Five Friday Thoughts

1. Between potty training, touring future preschools, keeping up the house, organizing room after room, and doing most of the parenting these days, I'm ready for a break. We knew the schedule back to work after having time off for a week was going to be brutal, but man, I haven't had a real conversation with my husband in days. I miss him. :(

2. The baby's room looks like this right now. I wish I could blink and see it arrange itself right before my eyes. If only that were possible! 

3. Third trimester exhaustion. I feel it creeping in. I was an absolute mess by the middle of my third trimester with Miss A, falling asleep by 1:00 every single day. While working. In a classroom. That didn't go so well and it looks like it's going to happen again. Last night I was I was in the worst mood, no desire to cook dinner, or clean up the kitchen, or move in general. I was hoping to avoid this extreme tiredness this time around! Here's a belly pic- 29 weeks. :)

4. White fudge Oreos. I was so upset when they disappeared from my Target after Christmas was over but I found them at Walmart this week and I could not have been more excited. My sweet tooth is out of control!

5. I'm redoing the bathroom upstairs and making it into a real kids bathroom. We got lots of cute duck items from our shower that I want to put to good use, so I figured a rubber duck bath would be great for the both of our little kiddies. So far I've got the shower curtain up and I'm waiting on the rest to be shipped.

A Baby Boy Nursery

At 29 weeks, you might say I have the itch to "nest"- all I want to do is get our little man's nursery set up and ready to go! We have all the essentials, some still in their boxes (the mattress, the rocking chair) and others waiting to be assembled (the crib, the dresser). We picked out a theme weeks ago, one we both love and adore- ROBOTS! The hubby and I saw this crib sheet at Target a while back and we both commented on how cute it was. Hubby took a picture of it so we wouldn't forget and we kept coming back to it when we'd talk about what the nursery theme should be. Before my shower back home we went to look around some more but didn't love anything as much as the robots. So, robots it is!

Blanket/ Chair /Mobile/ Wall Decal/ Wall Decal /Wall Decor

Miss A never really had a nursery. We were still in Michigan back then, living in a two bedroom apartment, and her "room" was our room. So I'm having a ton of fun putting together this room! Our main colors will be light blue and gray. The room is already painted blue- we left it that way in case we did end up having a boy! That sure worked out perfectly. I didn't have a rocking chair with Miss A due to space and I'm so excited to sit and rock comfortably in the middle of the night for feedings. That sure beats sitting on the floor!

Target had some robot wall art that I bought last week and I've been searching Etsy for other ideas. We'll be ordering a robot mobile, wall decals, and monogrammed blankets from Etsy as well. Last week I found this really cool lamp at Home Goods for $20. I think it'll go perfectly!

At the moment the room is a disaster. The guest bed has been striped and still needs to go, there are boxes everywhere, the crib is in pieces leaning against the wall. I'm not going to lie- it's starting to stress me out and I just want it to be DONE. With limited days off it's hard for my husband to do so. I wish I could do it myself, sadly I'm not too handy, or capable of carrying a dresser upstairs. :)

Five on Friday

One. Makeup

I got a few of the things I asked for on my Christmas wishlist that I'm absolutely loving. One of them is the Naked 3 palette. I don't think I've ever had makeup like this before. I'm a drugstore girl, none of my makeup costs more than $15! To say I was excited to get this palette is an understatement. I love all the colors, most of which I can use on a daily basis and others I can save for a hot night out. ;)

Two. The Affair

Have you heard of this show? It was on Showtime on Sunday nights. The finale aired two weeks ago, for a total of ten episodes, so if you haven't seen it, find it, you'll be hooked and finish it within a few days! I'll watch anything that Pacey (Joshua Jackson) is in, I just love him. I loved how this show is told from two different perspectives, leaving you wondering exactly what happened. 

Three. New Year, No Resolutions

I feel kind of funny not making any resolutions this year. I made a few last year and feel somewhst good about some of the progress I made with them. I wanted to get more organized, eat better, exercise, yada yada. This year I'm going to be completely realistic..I'm going to have another person to care for! I don't see myself making any kind of goals except for keeping my head above water and making sure we're all fed and clothed. Hopefully I can achieve that!

Four. Date Nights = Good for the Soul

While we were back home we managed to have a night away. The entire night. We haven't done that since Miss A was five months old. We went out to dinner to one of my favorite places in Miami- Lincoln Road, and people watched, strolled through shops, and had a giant chocolate chip sundae for dessert. Afterwards we stayed at the beach apartment my in-laws co-own and listened to the sound of the waves. I was SO relaxed, a mini vacation is just what we needed. 

Five. Baby #2

I'm 28 weeks, feeling baby boy move all the time, and hoping to hold on to my energy before it slips away as I get further into the third trimester. We're slowly setting up little man's room- we've got the dresser, wall art, and a lamp purchased so far. I can't wait to get it all together! Miss A has been so sweet and loving with my belly, giving kisses and saying "hi baby" all the time. I think she's really starting to get it!

Happy New Year friends, as always I must thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. I love hearing from you! May you have a wonderful, happy, healthy new year!

Linking up for Five on Friday and Oh Hey Friday!