It’s funny how so much changes from your first to your second pregnancy. When expecting Jameson, I documented every week diligently and took monthly bump photos that have been lovingly scrapbooked.
At 37 weeks, I’m pretty sure this is the first update I’ve written for this baby. Oops!
My beautiful baby shower, thrown by my sister and mom
As for bump photos? I was laughing to my mom about the fact that I might have five or six photos on my phone. Honestly, even that number sounds a bit high.
The only real “bump shot” I took around 4 months pregnant
I had heard from other moms that after your first pregnancy, the future ones fly by. Boy, were they not kidding!
Here I am, almost at the finish line of my second pregnancy and it feels like only last week I was finding out that I was expecting again.
I’m currently entering my second week of maternity leave, thanks to some back to back illnesses that caused my doctor to encourage an earlier rest period.
I’m finally packed and ready for our hospital stay and for Jameson to stay with our relatives while we’re at the hospital with the baby.
I’ve been able to do some fun stuff with Jameson to soak up these last days of him being an only child.
I got to attend Jameson’s school dance during the middle of the day. He was excited to have me there and I was grateful to have the time to spend with him.An outdoor holiday lights walk made for a perfect family day while trying to social distance while waiting for baby boy #2 to arrive
And my ankles have remained relatively un-swollen since I’ve been off from work, which is a real miracle in itself!
My scheduled C-section date is the 29th but I’m hoping this little guy decides to make his appearance before then. Jameson arrived at 38 weeks, so we will see!
I’m excited, I’m ready, and probably as rested as I’ll ever be, so I can’t wait to welcome baby number two into our family.
This weekend wasn’t very eventful (hence no weekend roundup). Jameson had a slight fever and runny nose, so we chose to stay indoors and do laidback family things instead.
After watching my toddler run around and spin in circles like a tiny, adorable tornado, I thought it might be good to pull out a calm activity before lunchtime.
So I set up a large towel and Jameson’s plastic highchair tray cover on the kitchen floor. Then I got out some cups and filled them each about 1/4 of the way with water.
Already a master of eating peas out of a cup. Could drinking water be next?
Drinking from an unlidded cup was a skill I had tried to teach Jameson when he was much younger, simply by giving him a teeny cup with a bit of water at dinner time.
Each time he would pour the water into his cup and laugh. After the eight or ninth refill, my husband gently suggested that maybe dinnertime wasn’t the time to have our son giving himself a makeshift bath.
So I put the big boy cup away and caved into the widely accepted toddler sippy cup.
But I’ve always felt that Jameson was capable of drinking from a regular cup, if given enough chances to figure it out.
So I am on a mission to use our weekends to figure it out. And also, have some fun.
So far, J is still dumping all of the water out into his lap and then taking a sip from the cup. Which is super adorable but not practical. It’s fun to watch his eyes scrunch up as he wonders where he went wrong.
He actually wiped up some of his spills with the paper towel!
I’ve been doing my best to model how I hold the cup and take a sip, without saying what I’m doing (the Montessori way). I’m excited for the day that he will figure out that he has to bring the cup to his lips without flipping the cup over first.
I must say though, he’s really getting there with his pouring! He got a couple of splashes of water from one cup into the other during our practice time!
When did your child learn to pour and start drinking from unlidded cups?
My toddler is a fairly adventurous eater. This is partially because D and I eat a varied diet and have been giving him the same meals as we eat, since he was old enough to eat them. It’s also because our son doesn’t seem to have any sensory issues with food textures.
Always partial to the almond croissants, of course
Being a special education teacher, I’m well aware that some kids can have serious sensory aversions that have nothing to do with whether or not you did “baby-led weaning” with them (no matter what the hardcore weaners will tell you).
But luckily, Jameson seems to tolerate all kinds of textures pretty well.
So yes, my son is a good eater, but he’s also a toddler. Meaning he is starting to assert his independence around at the dinner table (and the lunch table, and the breakfast table…).
When I say that, I don’t mean he’s throwing massive tantrums and flinging peas on the wall every day. Although, he’s done each of those things at some point or another, being a tot and all.
What he’s been doing lately is some kind of “choose one” toddler ritual where he will pick one food on his plate and eat only that food.
“Chicken and potatoes? Sorry, but I’ve decided that only peas are worthy of my palette today!”
“Nice try with the bacon, egg and cheese, mom. But I’m only eating oatmeal today, k?”- my toddler, probably
Also, I’ve had to hide the fruit bowl from view during dinner.
Yes, really.
If he catches a glimpse of a banana or a cherry tomato it is game over. He will immediately decide that what we have served him is straight-up trash and only seventeen bananas will do.
Jameson was on cloud nine at the apple orchard this past fall
Looking around online, it seems like this is a normal part of the toddler stage, and that it should pass eventually.
For now, I’ll be doing my best to not make a big fuss about him only eating parts of his meals…and hiding the fruit bowl like a crazy woman at dinner.
Has your toddler went through any picky eating stages that made you scratch your head or laugh? I’d love to hear about it!
It was a 4-day work week for me, which meant more opportunities to read with Jameson (and get some of my own reading in).
Here’s what we read this week:
T. Rex distributed by Smithsonian Kids
This is Jameson’s current favorite to skim through during diaper changes. He loves roaring like a dinosaur!
Also, the finger puppet aspect of it made for lots of giggles when we read it together. 10/10. Highly recommend!
On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott
I loved this book for many reasons. The story was, of course, a big part of it. The takeaway being that there is always room on mother’s lap.
I also appreciate a book with beautiful pictures and diversity. This book checks both of those boxes.
Jameson sat with me for part of the reading and played nearby for the other part.
He seemed to like the pictures, as he kept coming back to peek at the next page.
Scholastic mini board books
Jameson has taken a serious liking to these in the past few months. We read one of these books at least three times a day!
Romeo and Juliet: a counting primer by Jennifer Adams
Full disclosure: I bought this book at a secondhand bookstore solely because of my love of Romeo and Juliet.
When I was in high school, I must have read through the play dozens of times.
I loved that each reading meant discovering something new in the story, and how beautiful the lines were.
When I sat down with Jameson to read this, I was pleasantly surprised that he really enjoyed this book! Maybe it was the beautifully contrasting colors on every page, or the counting aspect, but he loved it.
He even requested a reread, which I always count as a sign of a well-loved story!
What have you been reading with your child this week?
A very busy weekend means that this post is coming to you on a Wednesday instead of a Monday!
Consider it your pass to daydream about all of the fun things you’d like to do this weekend as you’re sitting at your desk 🙂
Saturday:
The big snow storm visited us here in Fairfield County!
Unfortunately, Jameson was still feeling a little under the weather, so there was no playing in the snow for us.
BUT he did have fun playing with some dried oats while I made oatmeal that morning.
Yes, I had a lot to sweep up after this
I gave him some kitchen tools to scoop and sift with, but he had the most fun just using his hands to scoop and feel the oats.
This was another weekend where we did not add any hours to our 1000 hours outside goal, mostly because of the cold and Jameson being under the weather.
Warmer days, where are you?
Sunday:
I spent the entire day at a blood drive my Junior League chapter was co-hosting for the Res Cross.
Our goal was 28 donors and we managed to get 40 donors! I was so worried that the storm from the night before would deter people from coming in, but it was a huge success.
Checking in donors at the blood drive
D and Jameson had some fun, dad and son bonding time while I was at the blood drive. I made it home in time for dinner and bath time.
Monday
Jameson and I met up with some friends at one of our favorite coffee places, Honey Joe’s.
While I chatted and had some mom time, Jameson got to play with his buddy on the indoor play sets.
It’s crazy how much his climbing and maneuvering skills have improved since the first time we came to this play area. He really is becoming a big kid right before my eyes!
After our fun morning, I dropped Jameson off at daycare for a half day so I could drive to my sister-in-laws studio salon.
And she blessed me with these beautiful brows!
This is my first time getting my eyebrows micro bladed, but I love it.
So that was our weekend! I have another long weekend coming up again, so we’ll see what we get into then.
A couple of weeks back I checked out a book called The Montessori Toddler from my local library.
It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to add more aspects of Montessori learning/lifestyle to their home.
With that being said, there were some things in the book that felt a bit overwhelming to me, a working mom.
The reality is, if you work a full-time job, you just don’t have as many hours in the day with your child as a parent that is a full-time caregiver or even works from home.
This realization got me thinking about ways I can fit “Montessori moments” into my time with my child, to get all (well, most) of those great experiences with less of the fuss.
Here are some ways I’ve been putting this into practice so far:
Teaching my toddler how to pour into a cup
The other night, Jameson only wanted the peas on his dinner plate…and then some “to-go” peas afterwards. He also felt like rummaging through his cups and plates cabinet.
Cute an “aha” moment for a teaching opportunity.
Teaching opportunity? Just let me eat my peas in peace, mom.
I put some extra cups on the ground and sat with him. Then modeled how to pour the peas from one cup to another, using two hands.
I went as slow as I could so that he could see the steps I was taking. I also made sure to not talk while doing my demonstration, because apparently talking while demonstrating makes toddlers confused about whether they should be watching you or listening to you.
I don’t know about all that, but I kept my mouth shut anyways. Well, at least most of the time. I mean, it’s weird to be that quiet for so long, right?
Enjoying his cups of peas
But anyway, Jameson had a lot of fun watching me pour his peas in different cups. He tried pouring them himself and I have to to say, his skills have definitely improved from the other week when we tried this with water.
Letting my toddler choose his outfit in the morning
Jameson’s room isn’t set up for a tiny Montessori style wardrobe to be set up, so I’ve improvised by making the top shelves of his toy rack into clothing choice baskets.
This works for us because a. It doesn’t take up any additional space in his already small room and b. I now have the shelving space to use for this since I’ve started rotating his toys to play with and keeping the rest stored in his closet.
Okay, so I will admit that I have been so-so about remembering how to do this.
This is relatively new for us and there have been a few mornings this week that I’ve scrambled for an outfit for him, completely forgetting that I have two preselected ones for him to choose right across the room.
BUT the mornings I have remembered this have been mostly successful thus far.
Two of the times he picked an outfit, he seemed really excited about it. The third time, he pushed both of the choices away from him and did not want to be bothered.
I’ll chalk that time up to him watching Sesame Street when I asked him.
Pro-tip: when attempting Montessori independence fostering activities and rituals: make sure frowned upon screen time tv characters have not hijacked your child’s attention.
All jokes aside, the point is that Montessori doesn’t have to be elaborate or time consuming. You can pick and choose what works for your family and toss the rest.
Either way, you’re doing a great job. Now excuse me while I go sweep up some random peas I just found under the dishwasher. xx
We had some seriously freezing temps here in the Northeast this weekend, so there was lots of time spent indoors and zero spent towards our 1,000 hours outside goal.
I know that there is a saying about there being no such thing as bad weather (only poor clothing choice), but I’m just not at the point where I can (or want to) take my 1.5 year-old outside when it’s two degrees out.
But there is always next weekend and hopefully warmer winter days ahead of us! What’s that you say? February will only get colder? Well, f***.
Anyway, we still had a lot of fun indoors. There was lots of play-doh time.
We’ve learned not to eat play-doh, but still do a sampling here and there
Time spent cuddling and playing cars, of course.
Jameson turns anything into a car ramp nowadays.
And we even had our old neighbors over to go swimming at our apartment’s indoor pool! They have a son that’s Jameson’s age, so it’s always a fun time.
My favorite part of this weekend? Date night with the hubby at one of our favorite restaurants. My mother-in-law watched the baby while we went out for some much needed couples time.
Side note: How nice is it when you get to have an amazing dinner and not do the dishes afterwards?
Jameson finally tested negative today! We took full advantage of the nice weather and went on not one, but TWO outings!
Our first stop: Honey Joe’s Coffee House
Having an entire indoor playground to himself is a pretty great way to end quarantine!
Jameson and I got up super early (not on purpose. Diaper leakage and soaked mattress at 5 AM. Blah.) so we stayed local for the first outing.
Thankfully, one of the many coffee shops in our neighborhood has an amazing indoor playground. J got to run around and play. Mama got to sip on an iced coffee. Perfection.
Stop Number Two: Stepping Stones Children’sMuseum
Interactive light board that J loved
Desperate to make the most of today’s good weather, since we’re expecting a snow storm tomorrow, we ventured out again after Jameson’s nap.
This was his first time at the children’s museum and he was a big fan! They have a gigantic dinosaur model that moves and roars, which J kept imitating even after we left. Safe to say we’ll be heading back soon!
We ended the day with a mixed bag. I expertly ordered Ubereats to arrive with dinner almost exactly when we got home (score). And the baby went to bed without a hitch. (Double score).
On a sad note, D is now stuck at a hotel in Jersey with flu-like symptoms and is too sick to drive home. With the snow storm coming, he might not get home until late tomorrow night. If he even feels well enough to drive by then.
Anyone else out there expecting a winter storm this weekend? Are you the kind of person who looks forward to snowy weather or do you dread it? I’m not a fan of the snow but I’m excited for Jameson to experience it!
The days of putting up my feet and nesting have finally begun! And not a moment too soon! I don’t think my feet and ankles could have taken any more of chasing two 5 year olds around all day.
This past Friday began the start of my maternity leave. I plan on resting and nesting, of course, while also completing my online board certification of Special Education Advocacy.
The goal is to complete all or most of this course before baby boy gets here. That way I can enjoy my time with him fully, then dive right into starting my consulting business in the fall (when he will hopefully be on a solid sleep schedule).
I am so excited for D and I to be parents and get to care for this new little life of ours.
I am also excited for the swelling in my feet and hands to disappear, and to be able to roll over in bed without getting out of breath! Haha
Look at that squishy face 😍
Highlights:
•baby boys Estimated Fetal Weight scan put him in the 60% percentile for growth and right on track!
•I started my maternity leave this week
•our hospital bags are almost completely packed
Lowlights:
•swollen feet are a daily thing
•carpal tunnel syndrome in both of my hands thanks to this all of this fluid I’m retaining
Ahhh the third trimester…a time of nesting, counting down the days until baby arrives, and…swelling.
So. Much. Swelling.
My ankles have officially swelled wider than my feet…not great.
The swelling isn’t limited to my feet and ankles either. It’s in my calves, as well as my fingers. There is a constant ache in my hands and feet from the moment I wake until I roll back into bed at night.
I’ve heard people say that you get uncomfortable towards the end of your pregnancy so that, instead of fearing your due date (and a painful birthing process) you look forward to the relief that will come from no longer being pregnant.
I am starting to think the person who came up with that line of thinking was really into something.
I am so ready for maternity leave to start next week.
The baby’s bassinet is finally set up and his 0-3 month clothes are washed and ready for him to wear.
Our hospital bag is almost fully packed.
I am counting down the weeks, days and hours until we get to meet our little boy!
Highlights:
•people have been continuing to buy us items from the baby shower registry, even though our shower had to be canceled due to the coronavirus. Super sweet and unexpected!
• I went for an Estimated Fetal Weight ultrasound and baby boy is on target for length/weight and in the head down position
•the ultrasound tech printed out a 4D pic for me to share with D, since he couldn’t be at the appointment with us
Paige is Parenting 