Merry Christmas 2013

Aw it's Christmas Eve and as I take a few minutes to sit down this morning before the wonderful madness begins, I can't help but feel grateful for all the family we still get to visit with each year. I know that it will probably slow down or be more limited sooner than I'm ready for as traditions start to change. We have three beautiful great grandma's that our traditions are guided around and when they are gone (which better not be for a very long time) I know that things will change as our family travels great distances to mainly spend time with the great grandmas. For now though, I want to take advantage of building memories for Dax with these wonderful women and all of his aunts, uncles and cousins! It's often hard to find that balance of seeing everyone, running around like crazy and also really trying to feel the spirit of the season.

Sometimes it seems we forget that it is not about us adults who do the running but the kids whose eyes light up when we talk about going somewhere else to celebrate Christmas or who love spending time with their cousins running and playing. This year, I want to focus on this especially since it's our last Christmas carting around only Dax on Christmas. His last Christmas day with just him. I know next year will be amazing and beautiful with two little ones to share Christmas morning with and THREE for Christmas eve but there is something sweet about just spending it with Dax, one more only him Christmas. He asks on a daily basis when the baby will be here, he's excited! I love his excitement!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully Happy New Year!

Comparing... ;)

Okay... just for comparison sake and oh my gosh I can't believe I liked my hair like that... LOL ;)

25 weeks with Dax and 26 weeks with Baby #2

 Yes, think I was slightly bigger with Dax than this baby.

26 weeks!

Well, actually, today I am 27 weeks pregnant but haven't taken a picture yet and, really, haven't changed that much since last week. Baby is doing really well and so am I. Gaining weight at a steady pace and not feeling sick anymore. Sensitive to the smell of protein cooking but usually able to power through it and finish cooking... or overcook the elk steaks that had to go somewhere other than the stove top. Ha! Still struggling a bit with not knowing the sex of this little one but trying to move past that. ;) Baby appears to be growing right on track and moving like crazy so we probably will not have another ultrasound. I am thinking about asking my Dr. for another one but pretty sure I know the answer... and insurance won't pay for just a random ultrasound. So different having a completely normal pregnancy after a slightly more crazy one. Grateful for it though!

Dax has been feeling the baby move a lot lately. The other night he was laying partway on my tummy and the baby started to move around- he asked what that was, I explained it's the baby moving. He responded with "what is the baby saying?" "I think the baby is telling you to GET OFF ME!" Dax started giggling! It was very sweet. He is really very excited for this new baby and more times than not tells me that the baby will sleep in the baby bed in his room and expresses that he can't wait to snuggle the baby and help take care of the baby. I hope this continues after the baby arrives. ;)

Oh baby, how different you are...

 Every pregnancy is different, I have heard that SO many times but until you're in a second (or more) pregnancy you don't realize how true it is!  I've already noticed some serious difference, beyond cooperation at an ultrasound, that have stuck out to me!

 1. I had a Placenta Previa with Dax and nothing at all like that with this baby. I did not realize how much the placenta cushioned some of the different baby movements that I feel very clearly with this one. In other words, I had no idea what getting kicked "down there" felt like! Yikes is all I have to say! By the time Dax's placenta was out of the way, he was already head down and I didn't go through anything like this with him. It's not painful just..umm... odd??

2.HEARTBURN! Oh my gosh! I had horrible heartburn with Dax but it wasn't until much later in the pregnancy. Already have a bottle of liquid antacid in the bathroom. I'm scared. 

3. Definitely much more achy with this baby. I was warned by my doctor that the scar from C-sections don't stretch like the rest of your skin-- that it does not! While round ligament pain is about the same, so far, as my scar pulling, I definitely don't jump up or move quickly without my body reminding me to SLOWDOWN!

4. This one makes me feel really guilty and I'm hoping to remedy it soon--- by this point with Dax, we knew his name. We have NO idea yet what this baby will be named. I'm blaming it on not knowing if we're having a boy or a girl... that's probably just passing the blame but I really just can't get my head around having to pick two names. I am definitely more used to the idea that we might not know until the day of delivery what color of blanket to wrap baby in BUT I would like to have some names to refer to. ;) There has been so much distracting us that has nothing to do with the baby as well, my other excuse. Ha!

--Funny name story- Dax was at Gigi and Papa's house eating Olives and he looks up and says "Mama, we should name the baby Olive" Then goes back to eating. My Mom, having heard this, says, "actually that is kind of cute" OH HELL NO! I am not having the story of coming to my child's name be "well your brother was eating olives one day and it just stuck" Of course, by the end of the evening he also wanted to name the baby salad and cheese... just don't think this will work. :)

5. With Dax, I practically KNEW he was going to be a boy before it was confirmed. With this baby I change my "mommy feeling" everyday. One day I lean so much toward girl and then the next I'm dreaming it's a boy. Geez! ;)

Overall, I feel great! I am still able to do most of my normal tasks and am still keeping up with Dax. That I am more than grateful for!

 I am excited for this baby and I know that the second we see him or her, every other concern or frustration will melt away. It's so hard for me to believe that this baby will be here in about 15ish weeks, depending on when the C-section is scheduled. In less time than I've been pregnant we will have a new little one to love! That in itself is something to celebrate. :)

A Mystery

I am a planner. I have been since...hmm... well always. I like to have my ducks as much in a row as physically possible, I like to have an idea of what to expect in the future. I think this stems from having an anxiety disorder- order and planning make me just plain feel better. Chaos, flying by the seat of my pants and having no idea what to expect-- scare the crap out of me. Ha!

So imagine the whirl wind when we find out at the ultrasound...nothing! We find out there is a super cute baby in my tummy, we find out our dates are correct for expecting this little lovely but we do not find out if we are expecting a boy or a girl. I felt a little out of place, a little confused leaving the appointment. I really expected this to go as quickly as Dax's first ultrasound - first 10 seconds- Look, it's a ____.  Nope! Not to be this go around apparently.

This is so odd to me. I just can't get my head around how to plan for this baby. How to name a baby I can't say "yes, we're having a baby ___ and his/her name is ___." I will get over this, we will find two baby names and life will be just find and dandy but I just am not there yet. I haven't even brought up names up with Dustin except the occasional, "Dax thinks the baby should be Goldilocks" or "Dax and Gigi think Olive is a cute girls name." Which is both not serious and quite funny.

I did get the answer to my prayers though. I did pray that the ultrasound would show a healthy baby and it did. I remind myself of that daily. Our ultrasound this go around was "good" instead of finding an issue like Dax's 1st ultrasound did. There is something HUGE to be said for that! I am eternally grateful for that.

Here's what I've decided: We will know the baby's birthdate (or at least when we schedule it), we will know two names (or more) BUT the one true surprise will be when the doctor announces if we have a boy or a girl. That will be exciting! It will. :) Pray for me...

Oh baby!

Well if we happen to be Facebook friends, you know this news already! Dax will be a big brother sometime around the end of February/beginning of March. Official due date is March 7 but I'll have a scheduled C-section due to how much *fun* we had during Dax's arrival. Ha!

I'm 17 weeks today and in the last two weeks life has gotten a lot more bearable. I was one sick chick all summer long and actually lost a total of 12 pounds. If you didn't see me much this summer, that would be the main reason. Was miserable at home, not far from the toilet. Dax watched WAY too much TV this summer but we survived.

The test that made me stop taking tests- must be accurate if it turns to a + before the control line even shows up.

We're still in a bit of shock that we'll be having our second baby together 

but I know soon that will give way to excitement.

Crazy is all gone

Phew! Good news, I have gotten over being a "Crazy Chicken Lady." This might seem kind of hard to believe given my love for them this spring, the huge amount of work that has gone into keeping them healthy and happy AND how gosh darn friendly they are BUT yes, it's true.

I have found that once reality starts to set in about creatures you fall in love with as babies, the joy can sometimes where off. I do still love my chickens... most of them... and we will still continue to raise chickens BUT we will not be 100% free ranging ever again?

WHY might you ask? Umm, have you ever been around a larger flock of chickens that are allowed to wander?? Let's just say HOLY SHIT! ;) Give you a hint?? On hot days, the girls could be found in the shade of our back steps. Sweet except when you remember that they don't care where they defecate. Many a trip into the house was prefaced with "do NOT step in the chicken poop"  UGH!

The second reason has to do with the large garden I planted this year. I put a green 'utility' fence around it in the hopes of slowing my chickens down from entering the garden. I knew it wouldn't keep them out but I had hopes it would at least save my plants a little. My beautiful 8 tomato plants grew to great sizes this year and were LOADED with tomatoes. That was, until, my stupid chickens found them. I have not gotten a single tomato out of the garden this year! Luckily they did not find the sugar snap peas before Dax and Dustin ate their fill BUT they did find the corn. Between the deer (one buck in particular) and my chickens, only 1 ear of corn out of 10 rows survived! At this moment, it looks like the only thing we're going to get out of the garden is pumpkins. Good night!

We do have 7 chickens in the freezer ready for eating and this winter, when it's cold and I'm wanting to warm the house up with a slow roasted chicken, we will definitely enjoy them again. Of the 20 we started with this year, we butchered 7, lost 2 two other critters and are keeping 11 at the moment-- although 3 of them are hopefully going to another home as 11 is still a lot to winter.

I'm thinking one day we may try to add ducks to our flock BUT trying to talk myself out of it for a bit and make my reasons something more than "they are so cute!" ;-)