18 Months Old/ 4 Months Pregnant

Leah @ 18 Months Old:


- Still weighs only about 21 1/2 lbs. (although it feels a little heavier now that I'm pregnant!) and isn't much taller than she was at her last dr.'s appt.



- Is finally bottle-free! She still wants to eat as soon as she wakes up & sometimes asks for a "ba-ba" but is definately a morning person & for the most part happy & ready to go when we go to get her from her bed. She is not very good about drinking milk with her meals (she always asks for juice) so I make sure she has plenty of yogurt, cheese, and other milk products so she gets enough. She has stopped eating some of her old favorites (like bananas and chicken nuggets).



- Has been waking up during the night these past two weeks, and crying enough to where she needs to be consoled to get back to sleep. Maybe she's preparing me for her baby brother? She's also not been easy to put to bed. She cries and cries and acts as if she's not even tired when it's way past 8:00. Nap time is still okay on school days, but weekends are unpredictable.


- Knows the name of at least 5 Sesame Street characters, although I can't say she's ever even watched an episode (aside from one or two sing-along DVD's we have).


- Has reached a lot of other cool "kid" milestones that sometimes go unnoticed: she can kick a ball, she can stack blocks, she can put together a small puzzle, she can recognize 6 or 7 different animals by name, she scribbles well...

























- Loves to play peek-a-boo on her own now. She will cover up her face with her hands or a blanket or hide behind a door until we say "Where's Leah?" and then she'll peek out and say "boo!" She also hides behind doors and comes out to say "boo." I must get a video of this-- it is really funny!


- Has become quite the imitator. If you repeat a word to her enough, she will try to say it. Same goes for her actions. Sometimes I will catch her doing something and wonder where she's learned it until I realize she must have seen me or someone else doing it before.

- Her favorite new phrase is "No, mine!" And she says "no!" to a lot of other things. And here I thought we'd have plenty more time till the sassiness began.


- Has hair long enough to put in pig-tails, but won't sit still long enough for me to put them in-- and even if she did, she'd probably pull them right out. Here's the best I could do-- and they came out only seconds later.





















- Loves to "help" around the house. She will help me pick things up if I drop them (which is great for a pregnant mommy!) and will occasionally go get things I ask her for. She also loves to get involved if we are working on something around the house. Like when I went to put batteries in her toy:















- Has learned her own name now, even though it sounds something like "Ya-ya." When she goes around pointing at herself & saying "baby," we're quick to tell her, no, "Leah-- big girl." If I'm in the other room, she will start yelling her own name, as if she's calling me, but has gotten confused!























The pregnancy @ the 4th month/ 19 weeks:


- As usual, I was a little over-eager with the gift registering and getting baby stuff ready. I still think it's a part of my "nesting" instinct, although technically I don't think that's supposed to kick in til later. Anyway, I went to Target & Babies 'R Us "just to look" at boy stuff & ended up doing registries at both places. I don't know if we'll have a shower this time, but at least now I have an idea of what I want/ need. We did agree on a bedding set we really like (of course it is one of the most expensive!). It's not blue, but rather browns & reds-- pretty masculine!
















I also went through Leah's old baby clothes and managed (out of 3 huge bags) to pull out about 8 or 9 things that a boy could possibly wear, along with some plain white onesies & some blue receiving blankets & gender-neutral pants. I have already heard from several people that they have some boy clothes they want to give me. So we're going to have to get him a new dresser pretty soon!

We plan to sell the furniture from Brett's office & convert that to the new baby's room. It is already painted a dark blue, but we may change it to a neutral tan color. He will use Leah's crib & she will (hopefully) move into a toddler bed. So the only furniture we will really need for his room will be a dresser/ changing table. And Leah will need a toddler bed, and I would also like to get her either a table & chairs or a nice plush reading chair. We've moved the desk I had in Leah's room downstairs into the kitchen & that will serve as our "office" area until we can get a bigger house.


- Although I haven't really gained much weight at all-- like less than 5 lbs.-- I am most definately in maternity clothes now & have a distinctive "big belly."

- I think I can feel the baby moving sometimes-- mostly in the evening when I'm sitting down resting, although I'm not 100% sure that's what it is, since it is so subtle, almost just like a little butterfly. I mean, I should know what it feels like, and I'm sure I will once it is all-out kicking, but right now it is still a little early for that.



- While pregnant with Leah, I could eat anything and everything. However, this time it seems like I can only eat about half as much as I normally would before I feel extremely full/ bloated. Perhaps it's just a phase, but it's rather uncomfortable...


- We're pretty sure we have a name picked out for baby boy, but I'm not going to reveal it just yet. We will tell some of you, but not everyone. We're still kind of going back & forth between 2 or 3 different ones, anyway.













19 weeks: March 1, 2010

It's a...

BOY!


The big 17-week "gender revealing" ultrasound really snuck up on me this time around. I wasn't nearly as anxious as I was with Leah, although of course I was eager to find out! Time is just flying by so quickly. I can hardly believe I'm already in maternity clothes, already living with a little baby bassinet in our bedroom (I can't believe Leah once fit in that thing!). The baby was not quite as active this time, more or less just stayed in one place. He had his legs crossed some, but at one point, the tech said, "oh, I don't think we'll have to wait to see the gender." Brett said he could see the boy part immediately. I didn't really see what she was seeing at first, but once she pointed it out, it was fairly obvious that we definately have a little boy on our hands.

We are both excited about having a son, but Brett especially is. He has been praying for this boy for awhile now! I have a feeling it is going to be a whole new world. I have no idea what to do with a little boy. I'm quite certain he won't be nearly as prissy and dainty as Leah, and will enjoy getting dirty and playing rough-and-tumble much more than she does. I've never really bought clothes for a little boy before, although I have seen some really cute things!

Meanwhile, Valentine's Day came & went with little fanfare this year. Since we have been cutting way back financially, the idea of exchanging gifts with my Valentine never even really crossed my mind-- or his. I did [attempt to] make a heart-shaped Red Velvet cake, Brett's favorite. (Just so you know, heart-shaped Bundt pans should come with instructions on how to remove the cake without it falling into a million pieces.) And we had a special breakfast Sat. of crepes w/ bananas & chocolate. Yummy! Leah did make a couple of cute little crafts at preschool. She didn't have any special Valentines' Day attire, so I didn't take any good pictures, but she does have a special 18-month birthday coming up & I hope to finally get my fancy schmancy camera out to show off my quickly growing little girl.








I don't know why she always has a dumb-founded look on her face in the pictures she gets taken at school.



















I am a sucker for crafts with her handprints on them.

Life Changes

Besides expecting a new baby soon, while watching another grow before my very eyes, lots of other things seem to be going down in our lives now, leaving us with much uncertainty and a lot of emotions. Brett's last Sunday as worship pastor at our church will be this Sunday. We have been here almost 2 1/2 years, and though it's been quite a journey, we have made a few friends along the way. The decision to resign was not an easy one, considering that this job provided over half our income, and he has nothing to fill it's place-- we will probably be hard-pressed to find another ministry position that will pay as well as this one.

But the decision was also necessary, as sometimes you reach a point in ministry when God is urging you to move on to other things. The past few months with our new pastor have been challenging and Brett has gone through some things no minister should really have to go through, especially in a job surrounded by others who profess to be Christians-- and ministers of the Gospel. I'd like to say our lives might be a little easier now that we are leaving, but I know that will not be the case, as unfortunately I know that a huge percentage of Christian churches face the same types of issues we are facing here. God gave us all a sinful nature and we all have fleshly desires that can sometimes cause other believers heartache. It is a sad thing that non-believers have to see that in churches, but it is just a constant reminder that we live in a fallen world and can only be saved by grace.

So we have been working on cutting our budget, hunting for jobs (and it is tricky for me, knowing that come July I won't be able to work for awhile, and even after that, childcare costs for 2 children would likely take my entire paycheck), and just clinging to each other and to our family and friends for support. I've never really liked not having a plan, but that's where we are now. We're making it today. We'll probably make it tomorrow and the next day. God has always provided for us and He always will. So we are trusting that He will soon show us a bright side, and show us where He would have us to be.

I will still remain as part-time admin. assistant for the church-- at least until July (but of course there's no plan after that yet) and Leah can continue to go to the preschool there. I have another temporary, part-time opportunity in the works. Brett has an interim worship pastor position he will be starting mid-March-- not exactly where he wants to be, but that's why we're glad it's only interim so he can continue to look. Doors are opening even while others are closing-- such are the seasons of life.

I wish I had some pictures to make this post more exciting, but Leah will not let me take her picture anymore because she wants to look at herself on the camera screen. I hope to take some 18-month pictures soon, but I will need more than 2 hands!

Snow Day 2010

We were literally stuck in our neighborhood almost 3 days straight this weekend, as there is a big hill leading into it that was impossible to get up in either of our cars. My plans to take a trip to GA were cancelled as a huge winter storm hit the entire area. 3 days in the house with a very active 17-month-old were crazy! But we survived & I'm at work today, although schools may be closed for the 3rd day in a row tomorrow, which means I have to make other arrangements for Leah. We managed to get out and play the first day a little. Leah wasn't too excited about walking on the thick white blanket and just wanted to be carried around. We put her in the stroller & took her for a ride, and she really enjoyed the winter weather-- just as long as she didn't have to walk in it.

I feel like I should have gotten some more things done around the house but usually if I get laundry and dishes done, there goes my whole day. I've not been motivated lately to do much, but I do have a few projects I need to get done, especially before baby #2. Some big changes are about to happen in our house, about which I will write more later, and maybe that will allow us more time, but we shall see!

17 Months Old/ 3 Months Pregnant

At 17 months, Leah:

- Is sleeping from about 7:30-8pm until about 6-6:30am. When she wakes up, she is AWAKE, and ready to goooooo, but she has trouble making it until 2:00, after school when she can take her nap. She is grumpy for her teachers most of the day. I would love for her to sleep in a little longer.


- Still has the morning "ba-ba"-- and can now say the name of the bottle, so I'm guessing I've just made it harder on myself waiting this long. Typically this is the most milk she gets in her all day, so that is why I still let her have it. She will drink milk from a cup, but prefers "juice." She has about 3 cups of watered-down juice a day, usually sitting down & drinking the whole cup at one time, and then asking for more! She doesn't usually drink much with her meals, though.

- Favorite foods include: bananas, graham crackers, yogurt, chicken nuggets, cheese, and anything mommy or daddy have. She is able to eat applesauce & other "messier" things with a spoon on her own now, and actually won't even let us feed her with a spoon anymore if she's in her high chair. She has also reached the toddler stage where, one day she loves a food, and the next day she won't touch it!


- Is saying even more words. Sometimes she'll carry on entire conversations (that no one understands), complete with facial expressions & gestures. Most of the time she is able to communicate to me what she wants (and if she doesn't get that, everyone better watch out!) somehow or another.


- Figured out how to climb stairs. But she has to have something at the top worth crawling towards. And she gets too scared to come back down. So I'm not too worried about her coming downstairs from her bedroom. But we're putting the gate up just in case!

- Likes to take her shirt off. And doesn't mind walking around without one.

I have already reached the 2nd trimester in my pregnancy-- it seems to be going by so fast! I don't really have anymore sickness, and I'm really not even craving anything. I just like to eat A LOT! I can't believe I've already got a little belly, and people are starting to notice!

As a perk of volunteering at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, I got a free bonus ultrasound the other night-- the sonographer didn't have any clients so she offered to just take a look! And we got some great pictures. The baby was so active. He (I will refer to him as "he" just because it is easier) was sucking his thumb, kicking his legs, waving, and flipping back & forth. He looked straight at us one or two times. She did try to see the gender, but he wasn't that cooperative. We have an appt. at the doctor for the "big" gender-revealing ultrasound on February 16th.

Funny Toddler Things

Here are some funny things Leah has said/ done the past few weeks:


- When I tried to tell her the stove was HOT, she started to blow on it, like we do to her food when it is hot.

- When she sees the hair dryer, she tries to imitate its sound. She likes to stand right underneath me when I dry my hair and make the noise.

- She LOVES to go to school. Apparently, she also likes a little boy named Jack in her class. Every time I ask her if she likes school, or if she wants to go to school, her reply is "Jack Jack!"

- She is also in LOVE with Elmo and says his name very clearly. Pretty much 6 out of 10 hours she is awake during the day, I hear "Elmo! Elmo!"

- She has a bit of a shoe fetish and if Brett or I ask her to get our shoes, she will go to our closet and pick out a matching pair (the shoes match each other, but not necessarily what I'm wearing-- although Sunday she sized me up when I asked her, as if she was trying to decide which would look best).

- She is obsessed with her belly button. Anytime she sees mine, she has to check for hers'. She also likes to pick up small crumbs off the floor and put them in her belly button (or her toes, or her ears).

- When she is getting ready to pick up something she is not supposed to have, sometimes I will say, "Oh, no you don't!" Now, when she goes to grab the remote control, I believe she thinks "Oh no" is it's name, because she will reach for it, saying "Ohno!"

- She seems to understand when we are praying, and at the end she always says "A!," her version of "Amen."

12 Weeks

I can hardly believe I'm almost to the end of the first trimester of this pregnancy. Minus the expensive doctor bill we've already gotten, I'm getting very excited for the new baby, and it seems like it's coming faster than I know! This time around, I don't spend much time at all thinking about the baby or the pregnancy, and I'm certainly not taking care of myself as well as I did the first time. I'm still trying to eat healthy & take vitamins, but when I have a 16-month-old Energizer Bunny to chase after, it's difficult to focus much attention on her baby brother or sister. Thankfully, I still fit into most of my clothes, although with a tighter shirt on, I can tell that I'm pregnant when I look at my side profile.

I'm still feeling sort of yucky every once in awhile, but as long as I eat, the sick feelings stay away. Now I'm at the stage where I constantly have a weird taste in my mouth that nothing can get rid of. My cravings are usually homemade (or restaurant) biscuits, or French fries, and every night I like to have a Freezer Pop.We still haven't told people at church yet, and even some of our more distant friends, but I'm anxious to do that soon, to make it feel more real!


Meanwhile, the 16-month-old is talking ALL the time. Most of the time I have no idea what she's saying, but she looks as if she knows exactly what she's trying to say. She does say new words all the time. She can name 2 or 3 of the kids in her class. Her favorite new thing is to point to "Momma," "Daddy," and "Baby" (herself). (She even recognizes herself in a picture now!)


2010 is off to a pretty good start. There hasn't been anything exciting yet, but we're hopeful for all it has in store!








Won't she make a great big sister? :)
























I'm the baby!!

Here's a video of Leah at play. She loves to play with my keys. She tries each one in the door. Eventually she will find her way out, I'm sure! (Good thing for dead bolts.) She also likes to take the pillows off the couch & lay down on them. You can hear her talking a little in this too. Watch how fast she moves!