We had Jameson’s six month evaluation last week for his speech progress.
He has come a long way.
Things Jameson loves: Buzz Lightyear and a good leaf pile
He uses his words when sharing (or not sharing) with peers, instead of his hands. A big relief!
He imitates new words and sounds with confidence!
He can string together a number of phrases and can be understood most of the time!
According to his speech therapist, he is still about 6-8 months behind his non-speech delayed peers but we are confident he will close that gap eventually.
He requested a side of cereal with his chicken tikka masala. An odd choice, but a choice he was able to ask for!
I am just so happy my little boy is trying out new words every day. I’m so happy we are able to understand him more and he gets the joy of feeling understood.
We still have many moments when it is hard to understand what he is trying to say, and he will still resort to gibberish often when he is playing. We still have moments when a meltdown occurs because we can’t understand what it is that he wants. It isn’t perfect or easy, but its progress.
It’s another step forward for our baby boy. He’s speaking more and more each day, and for that I am so very grateful.
I will be 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and today was day one of my maternity leave.
It came about a bit earlier than I had planned, thanks to a brief hospital visit for dehydration (thanks, stomach bug), followed by another head cold.
At the advice of my OB, I “pumped the brakes” and took my maternity leave early.
And the timing couldn’t have been better. Jameson developed what we’re pretty sure is a case of pink eye yesterday, so I got to spend my first day on leave at home with him.
Sure it was a slight wrench in the plans I had to finish packing the hospital bag and organize the house. But honestly, it was also a relief to know that I could just decide to keep him home with me today without worrying about the repercussions of calling out of work again with a sick child. Or having to guiltily try and send him to school and hope he does okay because I can’t afford another missed day.
My little pink eye guy, eating just the cream from some candy cane Joe Joes during our Christmas movie marathon
So yes, it was a different kind of day than I had planned but I’m still very grateful for it.
We mostly stayed home and played make believe games and watched one too many Disney Christmas movies. I got to make him every one of his meals today, which was nice to do. And I even took him food shopping with me in the morning (something he really enjoys because he loves to sample stuff as we go along).
Like mother, like son. This kid loves to snuggle in laundry baskets, just like I did when I was little. It cracks me up and warms my heart all at once.
He’ll probably be home with me again tomorrow and thankfully I can once again choose that option without stress, thanks to being on leave. Man, what a pleasant feeling that is.
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 past Wednesday, Jameson got hurt at school. He was running towards the slide, slipped, and rammed headfirst into it. This resulted in a seriously big bump that required me to leave work and take him to his pediatrician to get looked at.
The entire drive to his daycare had my mind reeling with how bad it might be. When the director called me that morning she had told me to “prepare myself” for how bad it looked, even though he was running around again and seemed to be doing fine.
Needless to say I was not doing fine as I pictured how horrific his head might look.
To try and calm my nerves I called my mom…which turned out to be the opposite of a good idea, as she went over the many reasons why she thinks our daycare sucks and we should pull him out of there.
Thankfully, when I got there he was in good spirits. The bump was large, no doubt about it, but still better than what I had been picturing in my mind after the daycare call.
All smiles for mama when I picked him up early for a doctor visit
Even with the relief of seeing that he wasn’t as injured as I had imagined and hearing from his doctor that he didn’t have a concussion, I still felt terrible.
My child got hurt again at daycare. My child got hurt while being in the care of someone else. This wouldn’t have happened if I was home with him, the guilty voice in my head scolded. I should have been there.
Never mind that toddlers trip all the time. Never mind that my son has fallen, tripped, and somersaulted over apparent thin air while in my care. He had never gotten a bump like that, and for that I was racked with guilt.
So what did I do to quell said guilt? Talk to another mom about it to make myself feel better? Journal about it even? Heck no.
I did the stereotypical working mom penance of ice cream and material objects.
One scoop of vanilla ice cream with a mountain of sprinkles and whipped cream at eleven in the morning? Coming right up!
Not one, but two new Halloween books from Barnes and Noble? Sure, you deserve it!
And why don’t we throw in a ten dollar realistic elephant toy since you’ve recently learned the word elephant and it will make mama feel better for having abandoned you at your very pricy daycare all day?
Picking out one of his new books at Barnes and Noble
Now here was my injured but happy as a clam child, thumbing through the pages of his new pop-up book with a belly full of sugar.
And there I was on the other side of the camera, feeling guilty still but placated by the fact that there was a smile back on my child’s face.
D came home later that evening and shook his head at the impulse buys I had made.
“He didn’t need any of this stuff, honey,” he said.
In a perfect world, each twenty-four hour day would magically fit in all of the things crammed onto my to-do list.
The laundry pile (aka my Everest) would never reach peaks that make my husband give me a sideways glance while casually mentioning that there sure are a lot of unfolded baskets of clothes in the living room.
The floors would be spotless, the toys put away, and the only dishes in the sink would be the ones from tonight’s homecooked meal.
But alas, this is the real world and it can be a total sh*t-show.
My son encapsulating the “lovable hot mess” vibe that his mama does as well
When I get out of work, assuming I don’t have to grocery shop or run some other errand, I have approximately one hour before Jameson needs to be picked up from daycare.
This leaves just enough time to cook something quick (if D is not home and cooking already) or try and tidy up a bit, OR try and tackle the laundry pile.
The hour flies by.
Then Jameson is home and it’s family dinner time, bath time, and chill time with him. Getting any type of housework done while he is awake after school is pretty much a no-go, as he is super cuddly and wanting all of my attention.
I’ve tried folding laundry while sitting next to him and it always ends up with him playing a game of knocking over the folded laundry pile.
It used to be that he would fall asleep at 7 and then I’d go workout or do some housework or work work, but those days are gone too. He doesn’t get tired until 8 now and by then I am also exhausted and ready for bed.
And have I mentioned I’m pregnant? Pregnant and tired? Well I am both of those thing to the degree of very.
Anyway, this rant about finding time to do everything I want to do during the work week is brought to you by decaf coffee and interrupted sleep due to pregnancy bladder.
It’s starting to feel like Autumn here in Connecticut and we wasted no time doing some of the most basic Fall things you can do: hitting up the Farmer’s Market and going out for cider donuts.
Jameson’s love for apples has returned just in time for apple picking season. Truly his mother’s child.
D and I took Jameson to our local Farmer’s Market this Saturday and it amazed me at how mature he has grown in these few months.
Our first trip to the market was probably sometime in the beginning of the summer and consisted of D shopping for fresh produce and baked goods, and me chasing after Jameson as he weaved in and out of the seller stalls. An Instagram worthy trip it was not.
Cut to this weekend and our little man was in it to win it. He stood my my side the whole time, named the different kinds of fruits and vegetables with me, and happily chomped on an apple that he picked out with enthusiasm.
Earlier in the morning we went to a local diner for an early bird breakfast after dropping D’s car off at the shop. Which brings me to our title topic: dining with a two year-old.
With a big boy fork and a straw full of juice, who could be happier?
Here too I have seen how Jameson is growing up and into the person he’s going to be.
You see, Jameson loves food but hates standing still. Especially if we are somewhere new like, oh, a restaurant. He thinks its silly to sit and wait for our meal when there are perfectly good nooks and crannies to be explored. Like the giant gumball machine filled with what he assumes to be brightly colored bouncy balls. Or the table of toddlers sitting right behind us who are probably just waiting for a friend like Jameson to walk over and make their acquaintance.
That is where my tradition of bringing a “busy bag” has come in clutch.
Feeling proud of himself for matching the square to the square. He did this puzzle about five times. Note to self: buy more puzzles.
I don’t remember when I first heard of the idea of a busy bag for toddlers in restaurants, but it has been a heaven sent more times than I can count. I’m sure it was probably the result of scrolling on Pinterest one sleep-deprived newborn night.
Either way, it helps D and I stick to our rule of no technology at the table. There is nothing we hate more than seeing a kid sitting at a restaurant with their parents, playing on an iPad the whole meal. It’s even worse when the parents are also zoned out on their phone.
Let’s be real for a moment. Tech addiction is a serious thing these days and most of us are addicted to some degree. It can take some planning and commitment to rein it in and focus on the present moment.
In our house this looks like time limits on television, no iPads for kids, and a self-imposed time limit on my own social media accounts to remind myself to unplug. There’s actually a section on iPhones to set this limit, which is helpful.
But back to our busy bags. They usually work out great in keeping Jameson occupied while waiting for his meal. Of course this time in particular I had recently dumped out his busy bag with the intention of refilling it with new items…and completely forgot to refill it.
What was left when inside when I opened it up in the diner? One shapes puzzle and a hot wheels car. Oh man.
I could feel my heart pick up it’s pace as he finished his puzzle for the third time and pushed it to the side.
“Wow, you did!” I exclaimed, a little too excitedly as I eyed our waitress who was busy with another table. Damn.
“You want to try it again?” I asked. My husband shook his head and handed Jameson a hot wheels car instead.
The joy of playing with that lasted about three minutes and then he was trying to stand up in his high chair.
“No no, Jamie. We’re waiting for our meal,” D said.
Jameson sat down with a dramatic cry that had some of the other patrons giving us the side eye.
Trust me guys, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. That was just his warmup cry, I thought to myself.
We went back and forth with this borderline meltdown dance for what felt like an hour but was probably closer to ten minutes, before our breakfast landed on the table.
“A bite of the cider donut before breakfast? My parents must really be scrambling here.”
Jameson happily dug into his feast of silver dollar pancakes and strawberries while I pretended my egg white omelet was just as good. It wasn’t, guys. Nothing is as good as syrupy pancakes. But alas, I’m trying to make sure my pregnancy weight gain stays on the healthy track *sigh*.
My two year-old looking like a five year-old somehow. How??
It was a close one, but we managed to have a somewhat relaxing breakfast in public, with a toddler. And no tech.
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
My “mama-to-be” Mother’s Day started off on a sweet note, with D waking me up with heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes and fresh strawberries.
It got even sweeter when he found a house for us to go look at. The house itself turned out to be a bust. Beautiful on the outside but a ton of work needed to be done on the inside.
After that, we stopped by my parents’ house to eat lunch with my family and spend some time with my mom for Mother’s Day.
We then took our time driving home and made a couple of detours through little towns, checking out the real estate as we went and contacting more local agents.
It was a fun, laidback kind of first Mother’s Day, spent with my honey and doing things that I enjoy doing (we also got some pretty good pizza. Score!).
I know that to some people, my first “real” Mother’s Day will be once the baby is actually born. I can see their point there. But to me, I feel like I already am a momma just by being a mama-in-waiting, and it was nice to celebrate the blessing of being the mama of this little baby growing inside of me.
All in all, a very good day.
Highlights:
•celebrated my first Mother’s Day
•we finally sold our extra fish tank, which made more room for baby’s things
•our house hunting has really picked up
Lowlights
•swelling in my feet and hands has become a daily thing now
•you know that insomnia is no joke still
•a house we really fell in love with turned out to be too much of a fixer upper for our budget
With only (about) 9 weeks to go, D and I are working on making room for baby boy in our cozy (aka small) one-bedroom apartment.
So far we’ve successfully gotten rid of a “man cave-esque” book shelf that was made of old wine crates, because it was more decorative than storage-friendly, and a bench press that was mostly being used for holding laundry.
We’ve also added some multipurpose storage items and rearranged furniture to make room for baby’s bassinet and (when we can find one we like) dresser.
Maternity StitchFix Box
This week I also got my first maternity StitchFix box! I wasn’t feeling very excited about the maternity options I was finding in online stores, so decided I would give Stitch mFix a shot.
They sent me 5 clothing items and I ended up liking and keeping 4 of them. They sent me two blue maternity dresses (I requested this color because, at the time of ordering, I was hoping to wear one of them to my baby shower), two maternity tops in fun spring colors, and a pretty pink kimono that I can wear during and after pregnancy.
The dress I kept from StitchFix
I ended up returning a loose-fitting maternity sundress because I felt that it made me look huge (and not the cute, pregnant kind of huge lol). Apparently I am at the point in my pregnancy where form-fitting is the way to go, or else my figure just gets “lost in the sauce” of pregnancy curves!
Overall, I was pretty pleased with my first maternity “Fix” and would definitely recommend it to any pregnant ladies out there wanting to add some cute pieces to their maternity wardrobe!
Bi-Weekly OB Appointment
I also had my OB checkup at the end of this week. Baby boy and I are doing well and he is measuring right on track!
At my next appointment (34 weeks) I’ll be getting an ultrasound to determine his estimated fetal weight and to double check that he is growing at a healthy rate.
I love any chance to see/hear my baby, so I’m looking forward to that!
Highlights:
•OB appointment went great
•got (and loved) my first maternity box from StitchFix
•my maternity leave fund is getting where it needs to be for me to spend time at home with baby boy
Lowlights
•foot pain and backaches are still very much a thing
•my OB says that I will most likely have to be in labor with a face mask because of COVID concerns, which makes me nervous because those things make breathing feel labored on a regular day. I will need to seriously mentally prep myself for that so I don’t freak out and end up hyperventilating from anxiety. Oy. (I know it’s for the safety of everyone, so obviously I will wear it. I just really need to prep my mind for it, so that I’m ready to wear it for possibly hours of labor on the big day).
Paige is Parenting 