All posts in category Baby Cakes

Davis at 3 Months

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My sweet happy boy!

Here we are again, another month has flown by and my baby is now 3 months old!!! He and his brother, have been keeping me very busy, but it’s getting more and more fun to see the two of them interact, and I love watching them together. I am also so excited, to put them in matching outfits for Easter!! Yep, I’m going to be that Mom that dresses her kids alike on special occasions and I have no shame in doing so!

Davis doesn’t go back to the Dr. for another well check until next month so he doesn’t have any “formal” stats but according to my scale and measuring tape his stats are:

Height: 26.5″???

Weight: 13.4lbs

More about our sweet boy:

  • 3 Month onesies and pants but 6 month sleepers or else he can’t stretch his legs out
  • Size 1 Diapers
  • Nursing is still going great! He eats every 3-4 hours during the day and between 4-8:00 pm he’ll eat about 3 times and then he sleeps from 8:00(ish) until 7:00(ish)
  • My guess is he eats about 3.5-4oz a time (it’s hard to tell with an EBF baby)
  • He doesn’t seem to have any problems taking a bottle (except that they make him burp more)

What he’s doing:

  • Holding up his head really well when he is sitting on your lap
  • And likes to look all around the room
  • Resists tummy time a much as possible, but is also getting stronger every day
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Getting stronger

  • “Talks” when you look at him, and loves it when you talk back to him!
  • Definitely recognizes Mommy and Daddy’s voices
  • Likes facing out in the Baby Bjorn and sleeping on me in the Ergo
  • Snuggles!!!!!
  • Tracks our faces
  • Is mesmorized by the colors on the TV
  • Usually cries only if he needs something (food, diaper, sleep etc)
  • If he does get worked up, Dan figured out that taking off his socks and rubbing the bottom of his feet calms him right down every.single.time
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Such a content little guy

Milestones

  • Slept through every night of the last week
  • Giggled for Dan and I!
  • Getting close, but hasn’t rolled over just yet
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Almost rolling over to get his book

  • Played in his jumperoo for the first time (but we have to prop him up with blankets because the seat is really big)
Not too sure about it at first

Not too sure about it at first

But quickly warmed up to it

But quickly warmed up to it

Everything he does is just as exciting to me this time around as it was with G, and I am amazed at how much he’s grown in just 3 months! Feels like he’s been with us forever and we are loving our little family of 4!

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So Happy!!

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by Jenny on March 25, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes

Posted by Jenny on March 25, 2013

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2013/03/25/davis-at-3-months/

Davis at 2 Months

Happy Guy!

Happy Guy!

Davis is already 2 months old!  It’s kind of hard to believe, but then again; not really.  I know from experience that time goes too quickly especially when it comes to raising your kids so we are all doing our best to cherish every moment of this crazy journey we are on!

I’m happy to report that things are going really well in all departments!  I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of parenting a toddler and an infant, and while some days I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing but keeping my kids fed, most days we are all dressed, fed, happy and rested, and we even make a point of getting out of the house at least once a day.  I have said it before, but I have to say again that I am so thankful (and lucky) that Garrett is such an independent little boy.  He is great at keeping himself entertained while I am tending to Davis, which is a good part of the day, and even though sometimes I can tell he’s bored and really wants my attention, he is pretty easy to please, and it makes the times we get to spend together with just the two of us that much more special.

I also have to brag a little bit in saying that Davis is a GREAT baby!  He is healthy and he eats and sleeps really well.  He smiles a lot and is happy most of the time.  If he needs something he lets us know, and we’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out what his daily schedule will consist of.  I love that he is starting to look more like his own little person, and not just like a newborn anymore, and the older he gets the less I think he looks like (or will grow up to look like Garrett) Either way he is one of the cutest little boys around, and I am so excited to watch him change, grow, and learn new things!  This post is going to be pretty photo heavy, so please bear with me….you have been warned 🙂

STATS:

Height: 22 3/4″ (83%)

Weight: 12 lbs (45%)

Head Circumference: 39.4 cm or 15.5″(59%)

Skinny little boy

Skinny little boy

More about our sweet boy:

  • 3 Month Clothes
  • Size 1 Diapers
  • Nurses every 3-4 hours during the day and about 2-2.5 hours in the evenings (I purposely do this because it seems to help him sleep in longer stretches throughout the night)
  • Was sleeping about 5 hours before waking up to eat but for the past week and a half he’s been sleeping between 7-11 hours at a time, sometimes not even needing to wake up and nurse!!!!!!
  • Probably takes around 3+oz at a time when he nurses, and will take a bottle if he has to, but they make him super gassy
  • Has a little bit of reflux, so he needs to burp a lot or else he will spit up, and has mastered the art of getting it everywhere but on himself 😉
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Who doesn’t love being naked?

He is pretty easy going, as we try to keep busy during the day (especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when G has school up in Mooresville) He’ll sleep in his carseat while running errands, and sometimes he’ll snooze a little in his swing, but I try to get him in his crib for naps when I can because he sleeps better and longer that way.

If he he gets over tired he lets you know

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…and done.

so I try to be pretty consistent with the “BabyWise” schedule of eat, play sleep, and so far, it’s working really well!

  • He likes to look at himself in the mirror when he’s in the bath (or while I’m doing night time duties solo and need a safe place for him to sit while I bathe G)

Infant tubs aren’t only for bath time

  • He always sleeps in his crib in a swaddling blanket with his pacifier and noise machine on at night
  • Prefers it to be warm when he’s sleeping (the warmer the better)
  • Doesn’t usually need to be rocked to sleep anymore (although I still do it sometimes because I like to)
  • Still hates being in a wet diaper and is all smiles after you change him
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Changing table smiles

  • He’s finally started taking to my ERGObaby carrier when he’s ready to relax and will sleep in it when we’re out and about
Yay!

Yay!

  • But if he’s wide awake, wants nothing to do with it and very much prefers to be looking around I think I’m going to also try wearing him facing out in the Bjorn now that his neck is stronger and head control is pretty good
  • Holds his head up really well especially when he’s being held, and for short intervals when he’s on his tummy.  However,  if he’s on his tummy for too long he starts to get a little upset
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Just about over it

  • He smiles if you look at him and smile
  • Coos when he’s happy and loves to “talk”
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Happy Camper!

  • He likes to look at people’s faces and at natural light
  • Starting to track objects
  • Will hold on to a rattle or small toy for a little bit if you put it in his hand

Although he is a bit smaller than Garrett was at 2 months old he’s still tall and thin like him, and has big hands and feet

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He also has just as much personality,

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And I think he will be just as photogenic as his big brother was, he seems to like the camera

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Beautiful Baby Boy

Once again, we are beside ourselves with joy and are so happy and in love with our little Davie Boy! Can’t wait to see what this cutie pie grows into!

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Big ole’ Baby Blues

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by Jenny on February 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life

Posted by Jenny on February 21, 2013

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2013/02/21/davis-at-2-months/

Davis at 1 Month

It’s a little strange doing a monthly post about someone other than Garrett, (and yes I realize this post is a few weeks late as well) but I guess now is as good of a time as ever to get used to it! I’ve got a whole new set of monthly stickers that Davey Boy’s photo will be taken with and that I get to share with you all for the next 12 months! How excited are you 😉

1 Month Old!

1 Month Old!

Things are going as well as can be expected. 2 under 2 is a completely different world than just caring for a toddler, but we are learning what works for Davis and how to manage both boys every day. I’m so blessed to have Dan to figure it all out with, and the boys are so lucky to have such an awesome Daddy. I seriously could not, nor would I want to do this without him!

Davis was born at 7bs 13 oz and 20 inches. When we left the hospital he was down to 7lbs 8oz (which isn’t bad at all) and 4 days later on Christmas Eve, he was already back up to his birth weight, so needless to say, nursing is going really well again! He had very little problems latching on and thankfully we continue to thrive in the breastfeeding department. Our only hiccup is that Davis seems to have a little bit of reflux, so we have to make sure we burp him every few minutes or he will spit up. Dan is once again way better at burping than I am.

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Good thing Daddy is such a good burper

Weight gaining has not been a problem at all for Davis, he has been gaining almost a pound a week, but I think that is finally starting to slow down a little bit. He’s also growing like a weed. He’s already outgrown all of his newborn clothes and his newborn diapers and at 5 weeks old he is in size 1 diapers and 3 month clothes.

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Soooo long!

Here is Davis’ most recent info:

  • Weight: 11lbs
  • Length: 22 3/4 inches
  • Size 1 Diapers
  • 3 Month Clothes

Although he’s still sleeping quite a bit, he’s much more alert now than he was as s newborn, and he will sometimes be up for 4 hrs at a time (although we try to avoid that, because then he gets overtired and that’s no fun for anyone)

  • Eating about 3 oz per feeding about every 3-4 hrs
  • Napping about 3-4 times a day depending. Lots of naps are taken while we’re out and about running errands
  • Sleeping in his crib at night and for some naps now (the nursery shares a wall with our room, and he seems to sleep better in there all swaddled up anyways)
  • Otherwise naps in his swing or in his rock’n play sleeper

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  • Longest stretch of sleep was 7 hrs!
  • Was sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches, but now usually sleeps in 4-5 hour stretches at night
  • Very much prefers to be rocked to sleep (going to try and break that habit soon)
  • Only cries if he is hungry, wet, has gas, or is overtired
  • Smiles (I know ppl say it’s gas but I don’t care)
Smiles!

Smiles!

He’s a really great baby, and although he is different in some ways, he is also very similar to Garrett as a newborn/1 month old

  • Same weight and length at 1 month
  • Same clothes size
  • Both got the awesome newborn acne that comes from their bodies getting rid of my hormones
  • Both took to nursing right away and gained weight at the same rate
  • They both HATE being in a wet diaper
  • They have similar facial expressions and while I think they look a lot a like in some pictures, I think they look different in person.

I’m happy to report that all of our newborn instincts seemed to come back to us pretty quickly (For all of you expecting your second little ones soon!!)

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My Cutie Pie

I think the biggest adjustment aside from waking up more frequently, and being depended on for absolutely everything has been to go from holding Garrett to holding Davis, Davis seems like a little peanut and G feels like a monster! I wasn’t sure how I would ever be able to love another child as much as I love Garrett, but the second I laid eyes on my little Davis I was smitten and I felt silly that I even questioned it! We are so blessed to have another Handsome, and Healthy Baby Boy!

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by Jenny on January 28, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family
Tagged , ,

Posted by Jenny on January 28, 2013

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2013/01/28/davis-at-1-month/

Garrett’s 18th Month

It’s hard to believe our little man has gone from this…

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To this…

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In what feels like the blink of an eye.

He turned 18 months on December 24th

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4 days after he became a big brother,

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which is why this post is 3 weeks late.

But without further adieu, here’s what he’s been up to

Stats:

  • Height: 34.5 inches (97%)
  • Weight: 28lbs (89%)
  • Head Circumference: 19 inches (73%)
  • Teeth: 12 going on 16 ; all 4 of his canines have broken through his gums so he has pointy white tips that are visible
  • Size 4 diapers
  • Size 2T shirts and 18-24 month pants
  • Size 8 shoe

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A day in the life:

  • Wakes between 6:30 and 7:30
  • Daddy feeds him breakfast around 8 and gets him dressed while Mommy feeds Davis
  • School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 ish to around 1
  • MWF we’ve been home lately, but as soon as I get the go ahead from the Dr. we are going to venture out to the gym again and fill our mornings as best we can with a newborn in tow
  • Lunch around noon
  • Nap anytime between 12:30-3:30, usually naps about 2 or 2.5 hours
  • Snack and play time after he wakes up
  • Dinner between 5-5:30
  • After dinner playtime with Daddy and Mommy both!
  • Bath
  • Bedtime is 7:30

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What he’s Eating:

  • Unfortunately, he’s still riding the picky eater train
  • He likes cheese, pancakes, oatmeal, cereal bars, just about all fruits, peas, corn and black beans, mac n cheese (only the Kraft brand)
  • Sometimes he’ll eat turkey deli meat, or a chicken quesadilla, loves spaghetti (as long as it’s actual spaghetti or angel hair pasta)
  • Would live on fruit/veggie pouches and milk if we’d let him!

Things he Loves:

  • Pushing whatever toys he can all around the house
  • His sorting/stacking toys
  • Knocking things down
  • Reading books

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  • Playing peek a boo with his brother

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  • His Doggies
  • Tupperware
  • Playing in the water or outside

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Accomplishments/Tricks

  • Dancing
  • If you say “beep, beep, beep” (like a truck or bus does in reverse) he’ll stop what he’s doing and “back it up” (walk backwards)
  • Jumping
  • Running
  • Closing his eyes and mouth in preparation to get his face wiped after he eats
  • Sticking out his tongue

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What He’s Saying:

  • Lot of baas, daas, gaas, gogs, and any multi-sylabic combination of the previous
  • Not really formulating many coherent words yet, but he sure knows what he’s saying
  • He points at and says things that we can sometimes make out, but I really can’t wait for him to start talking fluently

And one more thing:

  • He’s the best, cutest, silliest, most handsome, and greatest 18+ month old I know!

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by Jenny on January 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family

Posted by Jenny on January 17, 2013

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2013/01/17/garretts-18th-month/

Davis’ Birth Story

Finally…11 days after welcoming our Sweet Davis into the world, I feel like I have a few minutes to spare and get a post out about his special day. It all happened so quickly that I’m afraid if I don’t document it….I’ll forget some parts of it, but I can assure you, there is no way I will forget all of it. It was just too real.

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As I’ve mentioned in previous pregnancy updates, this pregnancy was for the most part….perfect. I hate to say that, but it’s the truth. God has blessed me with 2 very “easy” pregnancies with just a little bit of elevated blood pressure towards the end, at the 38th week to be exact. Luckily, my elevated pressure has never escalated into pre-eclampsia, so I think, that’s just the way my body lets me know that it’s getting ready to do its thing.

In my last post I told you that when I went to the Dr they requested some extra tests due to my higher blood pressure. I was hooked up to a non stress test and everything was fine, I did the 24 hour urine, and it was normal, but my blood pressure was still high so Dan and I headed over to the hospital on Wednesday the 19th so they could get my lab results and monitor me and the baby for a little while. After everything checked out normal, my Dr. came in and checked me for dilation and I was 2-3 cm, and 60% effaced which was exciting for me, but could still mean little, so we scheduled a follow up appointment for me on Christmas Eve, and an induction for the 27th, just in case my blood pressure remained elevated. I was bummed, about the scheduled induction but still hopeful that just maybe our baby would come on his own.  Dan and I were discharged from the hospital and went out for Mexican before picking up our little Man at his Grandmas house, and enjoyed what neither one of us knew would be our last night as a family of 3 before putting G to bed.

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The last photo we have of our family of 3!

My contractions started around 8:30 that evening, but I thought they were just Braxton Hicks at first. That was until they started coming pretty regularly, but still between 9-11 minutes apart. I opened up my contraction timer app on my phone and started keeping track. The contractions continued throughout the night while we were relaxing and watching TV but they were still pretty far apart. Around 10:45 I decided to head to bed but just in case, I made sure all of our hospital bags were packed and ready should I go into labor. My contractions increased in intensity and got closer together so needless to say I didn’t get any sleep and finally at 12:08 am, I woke up Dan and told him I thought we may need to go to the hospital as I was calling my Dr’s office. My water hadn’t broken but my contractions were averaging about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting about a minute and a half each and they told us to come on in. We called my MIL and she came over to stay with G, Dan grabbed our bags and pillows, I kissed my Little Man and told him how much I loved him, tucked him in once more and we were off. Lucky for us the hospital is only 7 minutes away from our house; because my contractions were very intense at this point and I was ready for a little relief.

We got to the hospital at 12:30 and they checked me in, took me to my room, and got me all situated then they checked me for progress and I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant, at 3.5cm, with contractions still coming every 2 minutes and still lasting about a minute and a half. They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I said yes, so they brought someone in to get my IV going so I could get a liter of fluid. They require you to have at least a liter before they administer the epidural, and after they blew through the vein on my left hand they went for a vein on my right and started my IV. At this point the on call Dr, who I had seen at the hospital earlier that day (well technically the day before) came in and checked me for progress again to make sure I could stay and I was at 7.5 cm and 90% effaced!! This was probably about a half an hour after they checked me the first time!! Dan and I couldn’t believe how quickly I had progressed and obviously, I was admitted to stay.  My contractions were really really painful and coming very fast, and I overheard the nurse telling Dan that I may be able to have this baby without any epidural. I then heard him say, “don’t let her hear that” and I couldn’t agree more. I was really uncomfortable and in a lot of pain but still hadn’t even come close to getting the entire liter of fluid in me. I continued to labor a little while longer and Dan could tell that I was seriously in a lot of pain and asked the nurse to check me again. After a few minutes she did and my water broke. She also informed us that I was at 9.5 cm and that I wasn’t going to be able to get an epidural because the baby was coming. I was shocked, and a little pissed, and scared to death, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. I was going to have to suck it up and have this baby naturally.

They called all of the nurses and Dr to come in and told me to let them know when I felt like I needed to push. It wasn’t long before I was screaming through my contractions and ready to push.  I was that obnoxious pregnant woman yelling because I could feel everything, and it hurt…a lot. My Dr. told me to re-direct my cries to pushing and I don’t know how, but with some deep yoga breathing and a change of focus, I was able to, and our nameless baby boy was born a few minutes later. I distinctly remember saying “Thank God” when I felt the last of his tiny little body come out at 2:08 am. They waited for him to cry, let me see his perfect little pink body and took him to check his lungs for meconium. My Dr. finished up my delivery and checked me out and let me know that I wasn’t going to need any stitches because I was in such control of my body and the instructions he gave me while pushing. Again….I was shocked and happy but couldn’t take my eyes off of my perfect little boy who when the nurse asked Dan what his name was he said, “Davis” which was my first choice 🙂  He weighed in at 7lbs 13oz, and was 20 inches long.  (Garrett was 7lbs 8oz and 20 inches long)

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Healthy Baby Boy!

The time between when I woke up Dan at 12:08 and the time Davis was born at 2:08, was the fastest, most surreal thing I have ever been through. So fast in fact that we didn’t even have our real camera to take pictures after the delivery. It was in the baby’s bag, which Dan had left in the car in his mad rush to get me up to my hospital room. Thank goodness for camera phones

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I was amazed at how alert Davis was after he was born, because I had no medication in my system, he nursed right away for about 40 minutes and was wide awake for about 2 hours after that. I was also much more mobile, and didn’t have nearly as much pain as I did with Garrett and my third degree tear from him. Garrett’s birth story and Davis’ birth story were very different but the end result was exactly the same. We had 2 beautiful, healthy baby boys, and I was once again amazed that we created this perfect little life and that he grew inside me for 9 months.  It truly is such a miraculous thing, and I am once again, so thankful and so incredibly blessed.

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Garrett

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Davis

Let the chaos of raising a newborn and a toddler begin!

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by Jenny on December 31, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on December 31, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/31/davis-birth-story/

Weekend re-cap and my 38 week check up!

It’s been a trying couple of days for everyone as we can’t even turn on the news without being reminded of the horrible events that took place in Sandy Hook, CT on Friday. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the victims, families, and the entire community, I can’t even imagine what they must be going through, but my hope is that they can find peace in knowing that their Angels are safe and sound and watching over them from above. I thank God every day for all of the blessings in my life and now more than ever I am reminded to not take a single moment, tear, hug or tantrum for granted. Despite this tragedy, I am amazed at just how much love and support our world is capable of, and I hope that this trend of good can continue to trump the evil that we live with.

To continue on a “good note” Dan and I hosted a Christmas party at our house on Saturday and it was a huge success! We only asked that our guests bring their appetite and an unwrapped gift that we could donate to Toys for Tots and I am so pleased with the amount of gifts we collected. I feel that this is a season for rejoicing in the birth of our Savior, remembering our blessings, and giving to those that have an impact on our lives as well as those that are less fortunate than we are. Dan and I worked hard for the few days leading up to our party. We shopped, I baked, we cleaned, and cooked, and by the time our guests arrived we were as ready as we were going to be. It was great to see everyone happy and enjoying each others’ company despite everything that had transpired, and I loved seeing all of the kids dressed up in their Christmas outfits. We ended up having a little over 30 people, and our house was bustling with holiday cheer which makes my heart smile. I was a little pre-occupied with everything that was going on so I didn’t take a single picture, but my friend Brittany did, so I ever so graciously borrowed one of the pictures she posted on her blog yesterday

https://i0.wp.com/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Christmas-party.jpg

Brittany and her adorable daughter Hailey, me, Christie, and Susan as well as some of the food we had!

It’s hard to believe Christmas is only 1 week away! This month has flown by and even though I won’t be in Ohio with my family for the first time ever this year, I am looking forward to my parents coming into town this weekend to celebrate with us as well as starting our own Christmas traditions with our little family.

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On another note, I had my 38 week check-up today and honestly I feel like I should just refer you back to my 38 week post when I was pregnant with Garrett. This appointment went almost exactly as my 38 week check up went with him, which is unfortunately, not what I was hoping it would be, but it could be much worse. To sum it up, my blood pressure has been great this whole pregnancy, very much normal for me, and I actually even lost a pound at my 37 week check-up, so I had high hopes finishing up this pregnancy. However, when the nurse took my BP today, for the first time, it read high…..perhaps it is just my body’s way of preparing for labor, perhaps I overdid it a little over the past few days, or perhaps it is just a fluke, but either way, it happened, and it’s disheartening to me. I started getting a little bit of swelling over the weekend though nothing nearly as bad as I had it with G, and I worked pretty hard getting ready for the party, and trying to finish everything up for Christmas and our little guy’s arrival so I’m resting a lot today, and I feel fine but I am repeating everything I had to do with Garrett at 38 weeks. I had protein in my urine today (sign of pre-eclampsia) and my pressure was high even though it had lowered the second and third times they took it, but my Dr. decided to hook me up to a monitor for a non stress test (basically it monitors my heartbeat and the baby’s heartbeat and the way he reacts every time he moves or I have a contraction) and everything looked fine for that but I still have to do a 24 hour urine test again, and go back for another check-up tomorrow. If my pressure continues to be elevated or they find more protein in my urine I will most likely have to be induced again, which I really wanted to avoid this time. But again, I feel fine, and baby is healthy, and it could be a lot worse so I’m staying positive, and resting, and drinking lots of water in the mean time.

Here is a modified breakdown of my 38th week!

How far along? 38 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: Around 32 lbs (I blame the beginning of my water retention and too many Christmas cookies)

How I’m feeling: A little uncomfortable and ready to meet this little guy

Sleep: As long as I don’t wake up in the middle of the night I’m ok, but if I get up, I have a hard time falling back to sleep.

Best Moments: Hosting a successful Christmas party, and getting caught up on my wrapping

Movement: Not as much as he was moving but is still definitely shifting

What I am looking forward to: Celebrating Christmas with my parents this weekend

Milestones: He could come any day now!

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by Jenny on December 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Holidays, Life, Pregnancy
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Jenny on December 18, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/18/weekend-re-cap-and-my-38-week-check-up/

36 Weeks, and a Little G update!

Woohoo!!!!  Less than 4 weeks until we meet our little one!  I’m definitely in the homestretch and I can feel it, mostly in good ways, with only a few not so good ways 🙂  I realize how incredibly fortunate I am to have had such an easy pregnancy so far, but that doesn’t make me any less anxious to hold my new baby.

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36 weeks 2 days

Before I go into detail about how I’m doing, I want to touch base on G….as he won’t be the sole purpose of my Baby posts for too much longer and  you all know how much I love to share pictures of my little man!  I am still doing all that I can to soak up every single minute I have with just Garrett, and even though I’m not able to physically do as much with him as I would like to, I am enjoying his company all the more.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is at such a FUN age!  I love watching him learn every day.  He is a little over 17 months now and still growing like a weed.  And although he is not yet talking (but babbles with the best of them) he points at everything and makes some semblance of a word, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few words that I know he is saying, even though others may not hear them.  He had his first case of pink eye, and a sinus infection a few weeks ago and he had to be on antibiotics for about a week, and even though like any parent, I hate seeing my child sick and feeling helpless, he remained in good spirits for the most part and we were able to find out his weight when he went to the Dr.  He is just over 28lbs, and I’m still guessing at this one but I’d say he’s around 35 or so inches long.  We go in the day after Christmas for his 18 month well check and will have his official stats then, but that is where he is now.  Not to mention, we took him to get new shoes over the weekend and he is in a size 8!!!!  Talk about feeling guilty, I had him in size 6 shoes that he was measured for a few months back, and to find out he is 2 sizes bigger than that!!! Oops…..this child’s feet grow too fast, and I guess that I’ll know better for next time that I should probably be taking him every 6-8 weeks rather than every 12 or so weeks.  I feel like his torso has grown significantly in the last few months, he is in 24 month to 2T clothing, because everything else is too short on him, and the length in 24 month pants is good, but he is still a skinny little guy so unfortunately those pant continue to fall off of him.  His hair is getting longer and thicker every day, and he’s decided that pear juice works just as well as hair gel when you want to get that gently tousled look.

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Who needs hair gel when you have pears!

Like I said, he’s not talking yet, but he will sign for us when he’s all done, hungry, wants his milk, and his comprehension skills are great.  You can ask him to bring you something or put it away and he will do it!  We transitioned him into his “big boy” room last week and didn’t have a single hiccup.  I think he likes his new space as he’s brought books and toys into his room and now that he doesn’t have a bumper on his crib, he can reach through and pull out his blankie or paci when he wants them.  We’ve pretty much got him down to only taking a pace for nap or bedtime, or and for a couple of minutes when he is dropped off if he is upset, but otherwise, he doesn’t really miss it.  He’s got 12 teeth, and is currently working on his canines, which luckily don’t seem to be bothering him too much right now, but I’m sure as they push closer to the surface he’ll be a little uncomfortable.  Otherwise, he is such a happy camper!  He plays very well independently which I think will help us a lot when his brother is born, but he is also starting to play with other kids as well.  Some of his favorite things are to love on Oscar, Thank Goodness he is so tolerant of him, Kuno on the other hand just walks away from Garrett when he sees him coming 🙂

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Hugs for his best buddy!

He has recently begun playing with an old toy once again…though in an entirely different context…..lately one of his favorite activities is to push his activity center all around the lower level of the house….and if he comes to a wall, or another obstacle…he will pick the whole toy up and change it’s direction.

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He will seriously do this for about 15 minutes at a time and by the time he’s finished, he is red in the face and kind of sweaty because it’s such a workout for him.  It’s pretty entertaining to watch.  He also still LOVES his spider-man bike and will ride that thing around in circles for as long as we’ll let him!!

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He brings so much joy to my life every day and I thank God constantly for choosing me to be his Mom…..I can’t wait to see what he is like as a big brother!

Now…onto what is left of this pregnancy!  I still can’t believe I am less than 4 weeks from my due date…..time is going very quickly which is probably why I have been feeling an incredible nesting urge lately.  Like I mentioned before…G is officially in his big boy room, and doing great……our house is decorated for Christmas, complete with outdoor lights courtesy of my amazing hubby,  I have all of G’s Christmas shopping finished and I am diligently working on the rest of it….with hopes of being finished by the end of next week…..then it’s onto the wrapping!

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Since we will not be able to be in Ohio with my family for Christmas this year (first time in my entire life I will not wake up on Christmas morning under my parents roof, and be a part of a Brunner or Palmer family Christmas party, we have decided to host our own Christmas party at our house….2 weeks before my due date :-0  Crazy……possibly, but it means a lot to me to do it, so I’m going to go for it, and I’m really excited!  Just have to start on the cookie baking!

Even though the new baby will not be in his nursery for about a month, I have it almost completely ready for him, other than the name on the wall, which I am happy to say we have narrowed down to 2 possibilities, but probably won’t actually name him until he’s born.  I finally broke down and bought some newborn clothes (which for whatever reason I was having a really hard time doing) but he’s a winter baby, unlike G so weather appropriate newborn clothes are a necessity, and something that we had to buy more of….the infant seat is in the van, and we’ve pulled down from storage all of the “newborn essentials”  So as far as baby goes……I’m pretty close to being ready and that makes me feel good, but I am still happy to have quite a bit to do (thanks to the Holiday) so that I can keep my mind from dwelling only on when this baby will come!  Now on to my monthly update!

How far along?  36 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 28ish lbs from my first appointment, I go back on Thursday as my weekly appointments have begun!

How I’m feeling:  Still pretty good, although with G, and myself being sick over the last 2 weeks, my workouts haven’t been as consistent…now that we’re all healthy again I am looking forward to getting back into my groove…..spinning/strength class on Mondays, Prenatal Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and still trying to spin on Wednesdays as well…..with a few lower milage walks added in here and there…..believe it or not, it’s the walking that seems to take the biggest toll on my body…..my back is really sore by the time I’m finished.

Maternity Clothes:  That’s a given

Cravings:   Still carbs, though veggies have thankfully worked their way back into the mix

Sleep:  I’ve gotten my maternity pillow back out….I didn’t use it for a while because it bothered my neck but now it’s great again, however I have been finding that I’m getting cramps in my calves at night as well as getting really hot if I’m under all of my covers, but my skin is cold to the touch if I am out of my covers.

Best Moments this month:  Crossing off items from my “to do” list, and knowing that in less than a month (hopefully) we will meet our second son

Movement: He’s still a little wild man…..flips and turns, hard spots here and there, and surfing across my belly are all regular occurrences, along with the hiccups every once in a while

Belly Button:  It’s out, but not too much

What I am looking forward to:  Finishing my shopping, wrapping, our Christmas party, The Nutcracker, Christmas, and of course meeting our baby!

Milestones: Baby is considered full term should I go into early labor!

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It’s almost time!

2 Comments
by Jenny on December 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Holidays, Pregnancy

Posted by Jenny on December 4, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/12/04/36-weeks-and-a-little-g-update/

Munchkin Meals…Challenges

I feel like my son (Garrett, 16 months) could be the walking billboard for eating challenges…..ok so he’s not that bad, but we definitely have a very picky eater on our hands which surprises me because when we first introduced solids…..he was a champ!  He’d eat pretty much any and everything we would put in front of him, but in the past few months, he’s just become very preferential when it comes to his food.  I apologize in advance, that I don’t have great pictures of his food, I always have good intentions of snapping pictures of what he’s eating, but you would see the same things over and over again, so I’ll spare you.

First things First.  Garrett LOVES his milk.  He would probably live on milk alone if we would let him, but we only give it to him 3 times a day, when he wakes in the morning, before his afternoon nap, and before bedtime….I’d say he drinks about 18-20 oz a day which to me seems like a lot, but he still eats…sort of…so I guess I’m ok with it.

He also drinks a lot of water and sometimes watered down apple juice so that’s a good thing too.

Even though we have a picky eater, we continuously try to incorporate new foods, with the hopes that he’ll find another food he likes, and we can add it to our small list, but he is no fool, and if something looks or feels new on his plate or tray, he usually just turns away from it, and sometimes, he’ll put it on his tongue, than make a face and spit it out.  Stinker.  So because I’m terrified that my son will starve if we try to give him something that he doesn’t like, and then refuse to give him anything else, we always keep his favorites on hand.  These include….pancakes, greek yogurt or yogurt pouches, bananas, toast, oatmeal, blueberries, mandarin oranges, peaches and pears.  He’ll pretty much eat any fruit, but absolutely no eggs, and although he loves milk, and he likes whole grain peanut butter cheerios, individually, he will not eat them together.  He’s getting better with a spoon, but he still doesn’t really understand how to scoop up the food on the spoon, so we’ll scoop and put it down on his tray and he’ll pick it up and eat it, say Mmmm, and hand it back.

Our lunch staples are sliced turkey from the deli, sometimes he’ll eat ham, cheese, bread, or any combination of the 3, i.e. grilled cheese, or grilled turkey and cheese, again pretty much any fruit, veggie pouches, peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, applesauce, etc.

He’ll get snacks of goldfish, yogurt melts, apples with peanut butter, peanut butter cheerios, or some sort of graham cracker bunny thing sometimes throughout the day.

His favorite dinners are spaghetti or ravioli (sometimes I can sneak turkey meatballs in there with it), macaroni and cheese, peas, corn, bread, sometimes he’ll eat pizza, or a chicken quesadilla if the chicken is shredded and sometimes black beans….some days he will eat every last bit of what we put on his plate, and others, even if it’s the exact same thing, he may hardly touch it.  Sometimes, I just don’t get him….but like I said, as long as we’re getting some sort of food in him, I’m content.  I’m really hoping this is just a phase and that he will outgrow it eventually….Lord knows his Dad and I eat a pretty wide variety of foods, so I don’t know where he gets it from.

On occasion, we will also give G a special treat.  These are definitely not every day occurrences, but include, soft serve ice cream or frozen yogurt, fig newtons,  cookies or a little bit of a cupcake or a dessert we may have around the house.  He eats all of these things right up….go figure, that’s why we only offer them on occasion.

Again, food challenges are a part of our every day life, but we’re hopeful that we will overcome them.  Here’s to hoping number 2, due at the end of December isn’t as picky as his big brother!

Anybody else have a very picky eater on their hands???  Do you have any suggestions for working in new foods?

4 Comments
by Jenny on November 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, In the Kitchen, Life

Posted by Jenny on November 8, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/11/08/munchkin-meals-challenges/

Garrett at 16ish Months

It’s been a little while since I did an update on my sweet boy, so I figured I would fill you in on what he’s been up to lately.

Right now, his favorite activity is playing outside with his doggies,

climbing up the slide (at least trying to) and sliding down.

He has also mastered walking up the big hill we have in our back yard but still needs a hand to hold to come down or else his feet start moving faster than he wants them to and he ends up falling down.  And I think, that like me, he’s also enjoying the cooler fall weather.

He doesn’t go back to the Dr. for another well check until he’s 18 months, so his height and weight measurements are from my perspective.  I tried to be as accurate as possible, but I’m not sure how well I did.  Regardless, he is about 36″ tall, maybe a little bit less, and probably weighs around 28 or 29 lbs.  He is tall and thin…go figure, so he’s in 18-24 month clothing however, if it weren’t for my Mother in law taking in the waist of multiple pairs of his pants, they would be constantly falling off of him.  The length is good, but the waist is big, and I have a feeling that, like his Daddy, I’m going to have to do a lot of shopping online in the tall department for him in the years to come.  His shoe size is 6-7 and he likes to run!

He’s generally happy and we spend our days keeping each other pretty busy.  Unfortunately right now, he’s battling his first ever cough and it’s heartbreaking.  I’m pretty sure he picked up a little something from school.  Yep….school!  I have always been a very strong believer in socializing kids from a young age, (and although I do what I can to make sure he is around other kids his age, and other adults, so that we have an easier transition when his little brother comes along, and my attention is divided between the two of them)  I can only do so much, and I really believe in the Primrose School and their approach to tying in an academic curriculum even at such a young age.  We enrolled Garrett a few weeks ago, and even though it’s been an adjustment for both of us, it’s getting better, and easier every day.  He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from about 9-12:15, and I think that it’s a very good thing for him.   I’m so happy with our decision to enroll him now as opposed to January, it takes him a little while to warm up to different people and situations in general, so we wanted to make sure we did it before the birth of his little brother.  I am super excited for Baby Boy Brew #2  (yes he’s still nameless) to be born, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous as well.  I know it will be fine and great in the long run, it may just take G and me a little while to get used to.  My heart is going to have to grow in order for me to love another little person as much as I love him, and divide my attention as well, but like everyone says…..it just does and you just do.

Our days usually begin pretty early as Garrett is up between 6-6:30 every day.  Typically we’ll let him play in his crib for about 20 minutes just in case he wants to go back to sleep (which never happens) and then we’ll give him his milk, change his diaper and put him back in his crib with his sippy or bring him into bed with us and let him drink it there.  When he’s finished with his milk, he scoots off of the bed and says good morning to the dogs, then either finds something to entertain him in our room, or goes into his playroom and plays with whatever he feels like, while coming back to say Hi every once in a while and make sure Dan and I haven’t fallen back to sleep 🙂  Luckily, he is very good at playing independently and seems to enjoy it as long as it’s not for too long.  After we’ve watched a bit of the news, we’ll get up, get dressed, and get G dressed then head down for breakfast between 7:45-8

He’s eats while I get breakfast ready for Dan and I and he’ll play downstairs for a bit, then depending on the day, we either head to the gym, followed by Library story time or playing at the park; take him to school; play together and then go to the gym; go for a walk; or go to Gymboree to play for a bit.  I do what I can to keep our mornings as busy as possible, so that Dan can get some work done, without Garrett constantly barging into his office.  Regardless of what we do in the mornings, we try to be home around noon so G can eat lunch and then be down for his afternoon nap between 12:30 and 1.  However, if he sleeps in the car on the way home from whatever we’ve done in the mornings, I have a hard time getting him to sleep at all in the afternoons.  While he naps, I eat lunch and then get some stuff around the house done (or I just relax with my feet up for a bit because at 32.5 weeks pregnant, the third trimester fatigue is creeping up on me again.

After he wakes up from his nap between 2 and 3 we have a snack and play upstairs for a bit, then either run errands or play outside, or when his Grandparents are in town, we’ll scoot over to their house for a change of scenery while Dan finishes up his day.

Having a husband that primarily works from home is great, but it’s also challenging with a toddler, who always wants to check in on Daddy and see what he’s up to.  Thankfully Dan’s company has an office space close by, and his customers are all pretty local so he can spend time at the office or out with customers on occasion.  I have a feeling that when the new baby comes, he’ll be spending more time there than he does here, because that will probably be easier on all of us, but that is fine with me as well.

 G will play in the kitchen with the tupperware and leave a mess while I prep our dinner, he eats around 5:30 while I finish making ours then we’ll eat.  Yes we are kind of like old folks in that we try to eat around 6:00 every night so we can have some time to relax and play together as a family before he goes down at 7:30, and then we start all over the next day!  Repetitive, perhaps, but I wouldn’t change a thing.  I love that I get to spend my days with my little guy, and feel so blessed and thankful for my husband who works as hard as he does so I have to opportunity to do so.

Along with what I’ve written above, these are some more of G’s favorite things:

Balls, particularly throwing and kicking them, stacking cups, this fisher price cone thing that teaches kids to place rings over the cone in biggest to smallest order (which G has mastered)

a shapes cookie jar, where he has to put the shapes in the corresponding holes (which he has also just about mastered) climbing up and down the stairs, books, things with wheels, his motorized spiderman bike

stroller walks, being thrown up in the air by, or just playing with daddy,

bath time (or anything where he gets to play with or in water)

and being so stinking cute that you can’t help but smile at him

I have thanked God every day for the past 16.5 months that he chose me to be his Mom.  I am truly one of the luckiest girls in the world!

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by Jenny on November 7, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Life
Tagged ,

Posted by Jenny on November 7, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/11/07/garrett-at-16ish-months/

Third Trimester!

I can’t believe we’re in the final countdown!  This is it….my last trimester before we meet our new sweet baby boy!

28 weeks, 4 days

Less than 12 weeks until Garrett becomes a big brother and we become a family of 4!  Time has started to speed up again, and I’m still feeling pretty good overall, let’s just hope I can keep it up until Baby X decides to join us.  Yes….Baby X is what we are calling him as of right now.  Dan and I are not exactly close to having a name picked out for him yet, and to be honest, we don’t even have a list of “possibilities yet”  Although I’m not too concerned that we don’t know what to call him yet, I still would like to have a name picked out before he is born.  Hopefully in the next few weeks, we can get it together and come up with something that we can agree on.  I’m pretty sure we’ve got the middle name figured out, just need the first!

We had a few rooms in the house painted, one of them is the room that will become Garrett’s Big Boy Room, and I’m really happy with the colors we chose, now we just need to pick out furniture and decorations.  But until we figure out what we want,  it will remain somewhat of a “guest room”  We have family coming into town this weekend, and for Thanksgiving so it’s nice to have the extra space.

I’m having a much harder time deciding how I want to put this new room together.  So far I’ve decided that I don’t want to go with a specific “theme” because like I said this will be Garrett’s “Big Boy Room” for several years to come, but I am not great at putting pieces together without a theme, so this continues to be a struggle for me.  I’m hoping that once I get his furniture figured out, it will become a little bit easier and I guess it’s really about time I start to get serious about this….furniture can take a while to come in if you’re not careful.  Perhaps that will be a task for this weekend when my Mom and Mother in Law are both here!  Helps to have extra sets of eyes!

We’ve decided to keep the nursery as it is, and just make a few minor changes.  It’s the smallest room in the house and it shares a wall with our master, so it’s perfect for a newborn.  Not to mention, it was just redone less than 2 years ago, so I still like it.

Obviously we have to change the name above the crib, but otherwise, we don’t have much to do, which makes it easier on everyone.  I already feel like I’ve got a ton of stuff to do to get ready for the upcoming holidays and new baby so one less thing is much appreciated!

I had a check-up today and everything continues to progress as it should.  I’m still exercising regularly (about 5 days a week) spinning, strength, pre-natal yoga, and walking and although I’ve had some lower back pain, and some pelvic pressure as of late, working out actually makes me feel better so I’m going to continue doing it until I can’t anymore, which hopefully won’t be for another 12 or so weeks!

Monthly Update

How far along?  28 weeks 4 days

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs (sheesh)from my first appointment

Symptoms:  Still some lower back pain, and heartburn along with some pelvic pressure (most likely because I’m carrying this baby lower than I did G)

Maternity Clothes:  Oh yeah

Food Cravings of the week:  Caramels, apples

Sleep:  Is going alright, but still not great

Best Moment this week:  I’m just enjoying the simple everyday pleasures with my family…specifically, the cooler temps and this little guys’ smile!

Movement: All the time, he doesn’t like when anything is pushing on “his space”

Belly Button:  It’s at the surface

What I miss:  Nothing in particular 

What I am looking forward to:  My parents in town for the weekend, a family visit to the pumpkin patch, watching Garrett enjoy the season

Milestones: Third Trimester!  Less than 12 weeks to go (hopefully)

 

 

2 Comments
by Jenny on October 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Pregnancy
Tagged ,

Posted by Jenny on October 11, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/10/11/third-trimester/

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