20 Weeks and Ultrasound!

I'm going to do this post a little differently than I normally do.

I can't believe I'm at 20 weeks already!  Technically, I'm halfway done with the pregnancy already, although if this one is like the older two, it'll be more like 41 or 42 weeks by the time he or she arrives.

I had my ultrasound yesterday.  The baby is healthy and growing at exactly the right rate.  This is the first time that my due date hasn't been changed when I had an ultrasound.  The baby weighs around 10 ounces and is about 10 inches long from head to toes.

And oh yeah, we might have found out if it's a boy or a girl.  Anyone want to know? 

Do you remember how Princess has been telling us this whole time that it's a baby sister?  And that she's refused to even consider the possibility of getting another brother?

Well, she was inconsolable when we told her what the baby is.

She told me this morning that she will be giving the baby away.

She was wrong about it being a girl.

I'll admit I was surprised.  Princess has accurately predicted the genders of 6 out of 6 babies so far.  She even told us that her cousin was going to be a boy after an ultrasound predicted a girl.  She was right.  But not this time.

 Update: Princess was right, after all!

A Miracle

I haven't written much about this because it's so frustrating for me and because so many people don't understand the seriousness of the issue, but Little Man is an impossible eater.  Or technically, a non-eater.  I wrote about his issues with breastfeeding here.  His eating hasn't improved since then.  Before his doctor recommended that I give him Pediasure every day, he was losing weight because he just wouldn't eat.  For a period of over 6 months, he would literally scream when I gave him a plate of food because he did not want it.  His doctor ran allergy tests, tests on his blood, etc, but couldn't find a reasons for Little Man's aversion to food.

When I try telling people about Little Man's eating problems, they often tell me that he's just a picky eater and he'll outgrow it eventually.  Princess is a picky eater.  I was a picky eater (still kind of am).  Little Man is not just a picky eater.  He simply does not care for eating, at all.  My mom told me that her dad was the same way when he was young.  He was super skinny as a child and refused any type of food until one day he ate Wheaties cereal at a friend's house and discovered he actually liked them.  After that, his mother always kept Wheaties in the house.  My grandpa still eats Wheaties almost every day.

It's been over 6 months since Little Man has willingly put a vegetable in his mouth besides potatoes (and he'll only eat those when we're at Grandma's house).  Fruit is iffy on most days too.  At almost every meal, I offer Little Man fruits and vegetables, but I usually end up throwing them away, along with most or all of his other food.

But yesterday...Little Man had spinach.  He gobbled it up and begged for more.  I almost cried at the miracle I'd just witnessed!  To be honest, there may have been some trickery involved though.  You see, the 8 month old I babysit eats baby food that comes in handy little pouches.  Little Man was sitting beside me while I fed the baby and actually asked for a bite.  I nearly fell off my chair and then I had an idea.  Twisting the cap off of a fresh pouch of pears and spinach, I handed the whole thing over to Little Man who eagerly sucked down the whole pouch and begged for more.    

Gerber 2nd Foods Organic Baby Food, Pear Spinach, 3.5-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6)

I think I may have discovered Little Man's new snack.  I do intend to keep offering him vegetables and fruit in traditional form, but this is one way to get the vitamins and minerals he needs in the meantime.

A Letter To My Children

Dear Princess and Little Man,
I love both of you more than I can ever tell you.  I would sacrifice anything for you.  I love to hear your precious little voices and be on the receiving end of one of your "just because" hugs.

With that being said...

You should know that Mommy is not going to share her food with you.  Period.  You have your own food and I have mine.  Mommy is pregnant and hungry, and there is a chance someone will lose a finger next time a slobbery, sticky little hand reaches for my plate of food that I've been looking forward to eating all day.  So please just stop asking for a bite.  Because we both know that one bite turns into two and before anyone knows it, you've eaten more of my food than I have.  And that's just not okay right now.  Mommy is a bit (ok, excessively) hormonal at this time and the thought of one of you eating my food can bring me to tears quite quickly.  In case you haven't noticed, Daddy eats food too and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to share his with you.  And his always tastes better than mine.

With all my love (but none of my food),

Mommy

Toddler = Puppy?

I'm made some observations over the last few years of motherhood about toddlers.   The most interesting observation?  Having a toddler in the house is like having a puppy.  Really.  Think about it...  

1. They're both adorable and steal your heart.
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You can read an updated version of this post here on my new blog, Sunshine and Spoons! I hope to see you there!

19 Weeks

How Far along: 19 weeks

Milestones: Baby can hear my voice now 

Baby's Size:  Baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and is approximately 6 inches long from head to bottom. 

Sleep: Going well.  I'm not so big that I'm uncomfortable yet and I don't have to get up to use the bathroom every night anymore.

Best Moment This Week: Finally finding some comfortable maternity pants that don't slide down all the time for 70% off at Kohls.  This goes along with the worst moment this week which was trying them on again at home the next day and realizing that they were too big :(  Of course, they're on clearance so it's almost impossible to find the right size. 

Miss Anything?: Not at the moment.  I'm not so big that I can't do things yet and I'm not sick anymore.  Love the second trimester!

Movement?:  I'm feeling movement every day now! 

Food Cravings:  Nothing in particular, but while grocery shopping at Walmart, a lot of things that weren't on the list ended up in my cart.

Things That Make Me Queasy:  I've been feeling nauseous again off and on this past week, but nothing like the first trimester so I can deal with it!

Gender: We'll find out this Friday!  If they tell me it's a girl, I won't believe it until the baby's born though. I know too many people, including my sister, who were told they were having girls and ended up having boys.  On Wednesday, Princess told me that she'd been thinking about it and decided that she wouldn't mind having another baby brother.

Labor Signs: Having some Braxton-Hicks contractions, mostly when I'm really active.  Nothing painful at all, just tightening in the abdomen.

Symptoms: Nothing out of the ordinary...heartburn (although nowhere near as severe as I had with Little Man which leads me to believe I'm having another baldy, lol), hip pain, fatigue, etc.

Inny or Outy: Inny, but starting to flatten out.

Mood Most Of The Time: Stressed out.  Not good for the baby, I know, but the more I try to reorganize the house to make things fit better, the more I realize that we just don't have enough space for a baby here.  Still hoping to find a decent 3 bedroom apartment that we can afford to rent!

Looking Forward To: The ultrasound!  The appointment for that is April 27th.  Now I'm getting nervous about it too because I keep coming across information for birth defects without seeking it out.  I 'm sure the baby is healthy and fine, but I'm pregnant which means I'm going to worry!  Also, at my appointment on Tuesday, the doctor thought it was strange that now I'm measuring several weeks small.  She said not to worry too much though (ha!) because the heartbeat is strong and I'm feeling the baby move everyday.   

Chores for Children

I know I'm not supposed to admit this, but I can't wait for my kids to get old enough to clean the house.  I've already planned out the delegating of certain jobs for when they are old enough to handle them.  I would love to not be the only one cleaning around here.  To be honest, I kind of feel like Cinderella most days except that I already met my Prince Charming and he leaves dirty dishes on the couch and socks on the bathroom floor.  I read somewhere that husbands create 7 extra hours of cleaning a week.  To which I laughed and said, "only 7 hours?"

But there are other reasons I want my kids to help out around the house.  Doing chores teaches them responsibility and it encourages strong family ties (we're a family and we work together to help each other).

I started teaching my kids to pitch in before they were even a year old.  I would encourage them to help me put the toys back into the box as soon as they were old enough to understand the concept of picking something up and putting it in something else.

Little Man is almost two now, and he cheerfully sings the clean-up song while putting toys back in the appropriate place.  He throws things in the garbage for me (sometimes without my blessing), puts shoes by the door, and helps put silverware away in the drawer (I just wish he'd wait until they're clean).  Of course, it helps that he loves to copy his big sister.

Princess turned four in January and she has regular chores she helps with.  Sometimes she needs a pep talk or the threat of a time-out if she doesn't do as she's told, but she always ends up doing them.  She helps me put the clean dishes away, folds washcloths, puts away her clean underwear and socks, helps me clear and wash the table after meals, and puts dirty clothes in the laundry basket.  When I'm cleaning house, I expect her to be at my side or readily available to help me if I ask her.  She also knows that she has to clean up after herself.  If she spills her milk at lunchtime, she goes over to the drawer to get a towel and takes care of it.  

So what can you expect your child to be able to handle?  Here are a few suggestions:

1-2 years old:

• Pick up toys.
• Simple helpful tasks such as getting a clean diaper, throwing garbage away, etc.

2-4 years old:

• Clear their own dishes after meals.
• Put some of their laundry away (I keep Princess's socks and underwear in boxes so it's easy for her to put them away in the proper place).
• Be Mommy's helper when Mommy's cleaning house.

4-5 years old:

• Dust furniture.
• Wipe down kitchen table and bathroom counter with a wet rag (don't let a child this young use dangerous chemical cleaners).
• Make bed.

5-6 years old:

• Can do more chores without close supervision.
• Wash dishes (leaving the pots and pans or tough-to-clean dishes for Mommy).
• Help fold laundry and put away.

What Do YOU Want?

I started blogging for fun just because I love writing.  That's still why I do this.  But I'd like to start blogging for you as well and not just me.  So...what would you like to see on this blog?

Here's some of what I have so far:

I do recipes periodically when I come across one that I really think is worth sharing.  These seem to be somewhat popular so I'm sticking with them.  I will try to get more pictures in these though, providing Hubby isn't around to laugh at me for taking pictures of our food. 

Pregnancy updates...sorry if you hate them, but these aren't going anywhere.  *Insert evil laugh here*  As this is my last pregnancy, I want to be able to remember all those little details that I said I'd remember during my last two pregnancies and then forgot.

Random kid craziness and cuteness.  See above reason for not dumping these.

In the past, I've done a few reviews and giveaways.  I know how most people hate free stuff, but would anyone like to see more of these?

I've been toying with the idea of having some free tutorials for sewing and crafty stuff (and by"crafty stuff," I mean stuff involving hot glue and making fun things, not being sneaky and sly, although sounds kind of fun too).  Interested?

Is there anything else you'd like to see here?  I'm open to ideas!

Library Geek

I'm reading my way through the local library.  Yup.  I divided each section (nonfiction, fiction, Christian fiction, etc) into categories so I'm not stuck reading the same genre for 5 years and started with 001-300 in the nonfiction section (always my favorite!).  After that, I flew through the Junior section (hey, there are some classics in there!) and am currently in the 301-600 division.  No, I don't read every book, just the ones that interest me.  I even made up a checklist on the back of an old library card so I can mark each section I complete.  Have I mentioned that I practically grew up in the library since my mom works there?  And when I was little, I cataloged my books, made my siblings check them out if they wanted to read them, and even tried to collect fines.  Yeah, that went over well.  Nowadays, I stick to collecting fines at the local library when I'm working as a substitute librarian.

Hannah=Library Geek and proud of it!

Why, yes.  That would be quite nice.
I'd rather be at the Library Librarian Jr. Raglan by CafePress

So anyways...my point is that during my quest to "read through the library" I've been stumbling on some books that I might not otherwise have found.  Like this one:

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, Deluxe Edition

I had to put the book down at the end of almost every chapter to absorb what I was reading.  My main reaction was an awe inspired "wow."  I was completely blown away by this.  Yes, I believe Heaven is real and I always have, but this really drove it home for me.  This is one of those books that I plan to add to my home library (which, by the way, is in alphabetical order and separated by genre, just like it should be).    


*Disclaimer: The above links are affiliate links. Your purchase using those links help support Supermommy Or Not.

17 Weeks

How Far along: 17 weeks
Milestones: Baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage into bones. 
Baby's Size:  Baby weighs about 5 ounces and is approximately 5 inches long.  About the size of a turnip!

Sorry about the blurry picture!

Sleep: I don't have to get up every night to use the bathroom now.  However, Little Man isn't sleeping so well in his crib anymore (which means that Mommy doesn't sleep very well either, lol) because he keeps bumping into the sides and getting limbs stucks between the slats.  He'll be two next month and I think it's time to move him to a regular bed already *sob*

Best Moment This Week: Finding out that my best friend is having a baby boy in August!  It was kind of a bittersweet moment though because this is her last baby, she already has two boys, and she was hoping for a little girl.  

Miss Anything?: Not at the moment.  I'm not so big that I can't do things yet and I'm not sick anymore.  Love the second trimester!

Movement?: Yes!  Every now and then I feel little kicks and flutters.  I just love it!

Food Cravings:  This week it's cheese. 

Things That Make Me Queasy: Not much right now.

Gender: We'll find out in a few weeks!  If they tell me it's a girl, I won't believe it until the baby's born though!  I know too many people, including my sister, who were told they were having girls and ended up having boys.

Labor Signs: Hopefully not for a while yet!

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good right now except for my left hip which feels like it's falling apart.

Inny or Outy: Inny

Mood Most Of The Time: Mood swings are starting to settle down, but I still cry easily.

Looking Forward To: The ultrasound!  The appointment for that is April 27th.

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

I stood in front of my overflowing cupboard yesterday trying to figure out what to make for supper.  I started pulling stuff out and pretty soon I came up with this.  Sorry, no pictures because we ate it all already, and Hubby made fun of me for taking pictures of our food last time I blogged a recipe I made.  :)  But believe me, it looked good and tasted better.

Just to warn you, all measurements are approximate since I'm morally opposed to measuring while cooking.  Just kidding.  But I really don't like measuring.  I'm that lazy.  Also, I'm assuming that you have at least a basic knowledge of cooking.  If you don't, I'm not judging you.  But you should probably google "how to boil noodles" and some other basics before trying my "recipe"

I started with approximately 6 servings of spaghetti pasta.  I wanted to use elbow noodles, but we're out so...I broke the noodles into thirds before adding them to the boiling water.  When the noodles were al dente, I drained them and dumped, ahem, gently placed them in a bowl.  I added a jar of pizza sauce and half a can of olives.  Next time I make this, I'll probably throw in the whole jar of olives.  Then, I mixed in pepperonis.  Hormel's Pepperoni Minis are perfect for this.

 
 Let me just stop here and say that this casserole is completely customizable.  You can mix in whatever it is you normally like on your pizza.  Of course, if you're the only one in your house that likes supreme pizza and the others gag at the idea of anything more than pepperoni on theirs, I would recommend respecting their opinions or you might get sick of this casserole after eating it for four days straight.

Next, I put the whole shebang in a greased 9"x9" pan and sprinkled the top liberally with mozzarella cheese and more pepperonis.  Because you can never have too many pepperonis.  I baked the casserole in a 350 degree oven until the cheese on top was bubbling. 

And that's it!  Easy as pie, pizza pie that is!

January-March 2012 Fan of the Week Gift Certificate Winner!

As described here, there is an app installed on the Annalie's Baby Boutique Facebook page that selects an active fan of the page to be the Fan of the Week.  Each winner receives a discount on their next order, plus a chance to win a $10 gift certificate!

The winner of the Janary-March Fan of the Week $10 gift certificate, as chosen by Random.org, is......................
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Linda Wolter!

Congratulations, Linda!  In addition to your gift certificate, you also have 20% discount towards your next order as a result of being selected as Fan of the Week THREE times!