All posts tagged Baby #2

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
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Posted by Jenny on January 28, 2013

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

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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
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Posted by Jenny on December 18, 2012

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

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)

 

 

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by Jenny on October 11, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jenny on October 11, 2012

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

24 Week Update

Only about 3.5 more months until we meet our next Little Man!!  In my last pregnancy update I shared how I felt like this pregnancy is going much faster than my first, well, I don’t what it is but now it feels like it’s just creeping along.  I’m sure that will change again once we really get into fall and all of the fun holidays that are coming up, but until then, I’m trying to enjoy every minute.  Really, if I think about it, I’m less than 4 weeks away from my third trimester, and when put that way, it sounds pretty great!

Even though time feels like it has slowed down,  I  think the baby has gone through a growth spurt since my half way point, but I had a Dr.’s appointment today and was assured that everything is measuring right where it should be!

Other than my fatigue returning a little bit over the past few weeks, and the occasional bout of lower back pain, I feel really good!  I’m still exercising about 5 days a week and my energy during the day is great!  It’s just that by 9:00 I’m usually wiped out.  But early bedtimes are sort of a must in this house as Garrett is an early riser, and is typically awake between 5:45 and 6:15.  Luckily he is great at entertaining himself in his crib in the mornings until we are awake and ready to start our day!

Monthly Update

How far along?  24 weeks, 3 days

Total Weight Gain: 15lbs from my first appointment

Symptoms:  Some lower back pain

Maternity Clothes:  Yes, and desperately looking for a new dress to wear to a wedding next weekend

Food Cravings of the week:  Oatmeal, apples and peanut butter and ice cream

Sleep:  Not the best.  I’m having a hard time picking pillows to use, and unfortunately my snoogle pillow that I used during my first pregnancy makes my neck hurt.  However I do notice that I sleep more soundly on Tuesdays and Thursdays after my pre-natal yoga class

Best Moment this week:  Watching Garrett walk around laughing outside while playing with the dogs (this is a big deal because since he’s started walking he’s hated to do it anywhere but inside)

Movement: Rolls, kicks and punches are in full effect and Dan has felt him move too!

Belly Button:  Innie but quickly approaching the surface

What I miss:  Being able to lean forward during a tough sprint sequence on the stationary bike in spinning classes

What I am looking forward to:  Fall, our good friends wedding in St Louis next weekend, my visit to Ohio the following weekend to see some of my best friends and to meet their new daughters!

Milestones: Creeping into the third trimester with only 16 weeks to go!

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by Jenny on September 12, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jenny on September 12, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/09/12/24-week-update/

Half Way Point

As of Sunday I am half way through my pregnancy!  Time feels like it is going faster this time around.  Perhaps it’s because I am more relaxed and comfortable with everything that is going on in my body right now, and I’m sure it has a lot to do with this adorable little guy keeping me busy

Before I get into how I’ve been growing, I want to give you a quick update on my Little Man!!  His walking is improving every day and although he still doesn’t like to walk in shoes, or outside in general, (probably because we make him wear shoes outside) he’s getting more and more comfortable walking inside and when he gets excited about something, he tries to run!  He’s mastered “all done” in sign language, (though he sort of has his own way of doing it) and he consistently signs to us when he is finished eating.  He knows what snacks he prefers, and if he has a snack cup full of different types of snacks he will sort them and only eat what he likes (We have a real life Baby Einstein on our hands!)

He’s also learned to wave bye-bye and will typically do it if we prompt him.  Sometimes I will “sing” to him basically just melodically saying ba ba ba, and he will repeat it back to me too, and it’s the cutest thing!  I’m really enjoying this “toddler” stage, he’s learning and doing so much and I feel so lucky to be able to watch him grow every day.

Now on to Baby Boy Brew #2

20 Weeks!!

I don’t really feel like my belly has grown too much since my 16 Week Update, it seems that even though it “popped out” much earlier this time around, now the growth has subsided.  I have read that this usually happens, and I’m sure that within the next few weeks I will have another growth spurt and it will pop out a bit more, but I’m not concerned about it.  Right now I’m on track to gain about 30 lbs with this pregnancy (I gained 37 with G) so that’s a good thing.  I’m hoping to gain a little less this time around but we’ll see how that goes 🙂  My Dr. felt for my uterus at my appointment and it is also right in line with the top of my bellybutton which is where it’s supposed to be.  I’m not scheduled to have any more ultrasounds, but next month I think they’ll start measuring my belly to see if it’s in the range of cm to weeks that it should be.  So far…everything seems to be going great!  My weight is on track, BP is well within the “normal” range, I’m not exhausted every day (only some days) I’m still exercising at least 5 days a week, and I don’t have any swelling in my feet!!  It’s looking like I will be able to go into labor naturally this time (although I know that a lot can change in 20 weeks) so I’m thrilled about that!  Life is good, I really can’t complain!

Monthly Update

How far along?  20 weeks, 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 11-12lbs from my first appointment

Symptoms:  Some round ligament pain when I go from lying or sitting down to standing, and a little lower back pain when I’m walking on an incline with  my dogs, and the stroller.  Along with the occasional bout of heartburn

Maternity Clothes:  Yes, I went shopping for a few new things and thankfully inherited all of a friends’ maternity clothes

Food Cravings of the week:  Blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, and peanut butter crackers

Sleep:  Still not so great.  I feel like my sleeping has been restless, however my husband has informed me that when I do sleep I sleep hard, so hard in fact that I frequently talk in my sleep which is crazy because before this pregnancy, I was never a sleep talker.  Also, I have been having some crazy, weird, but vivid dreams for the past few weeks.

Best Moment this week:  The excitement I have because my Mom is coming into town on Wednesday and my Dad is coming over the weekend!  Also feeling more and more movements from Baby Boy Brew #2 🙂

Movement: See above answer!  His movements are coming more frequently and are now not only flutters, bubbles, and tickles but legit movements.  Looking forward to Dan being able to feel this little one!

Belly Button:  Still an innie…..the best part about an innie is the circle of sweat I get while working out (not)  It’s actually quite embarrassing and I’m kind of looking forward to it popping out a bit more so I don’t have that distinct sweat circle to draw even more attention to my ever-growing belly

What I miss:  Sleeping on my stomach and laying on my back

What I am looking forward to:  My parents visit!  They haven’t seen G since he’s started to walk

Milestones: Half Way Point and feeling Great!!

6 Comments
by Jenny on August 14, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jenny on August 14, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/08/14/half-way-point/

Boy oh Boy…

…Am I going to be outnumbered!  Not that I’m not outnumbered as it is already.  I grew up in a home with 3 brothers, and I live with my Hubby, my sweet Little G, and our 2 lovable Boxers, and now we’re going to be adding another BOY to the mix!!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely thrilled that we have another HEALTHY baby boy coming and I know God has a plan all worked out for me, I just think that before he gives me my sweet little princess he wants to test me 😉

Honestly, the more I think about it…the more excited I get!  I mean how cool is it going to be to have 2 little boys that are 18 months apart!  They’ll only be one grade apart in school, and I just have this feeling that they are going to be Best Friends, and probably worst enemies at times too but one thing is for sure, and that is that they will have one another.  To play with, to look up to, to look out for, and to beat up on for the rest of their lives.  Regardless of what they go through, they will always have each other, and that just makes me so happy!  Not to say there isn’t a chance that they will be polar opposites, but it doesn’t matter, they will still have one another.  And to me that is just the neatest thing.  Not to mention, they can share toys, and clothes, and I get to dress them in matching outfits for Holidays!!!  I don’t know about you but I always think it’s so adorable when I’m at Church on Sunday and I see 2 little boys, dressed up in similar outfits.  I just love it, and you better believe that’s going to be me, and my boys 🙂

I have no idea who these boys are, but seriously…how cute are they!!!

Now that we know what we are having, we get to go through the whole picking the perfect name process again which was a little difficult with Garrett because Dan and I couldn’t agree on anything, fingers crossed it’s a bit easier this time around.  I also get to start picking out color schemes for the new bedroom!  We have yet to decide if we’re going to keep G in the room he’s in so as not to throw too much change to him at once (plus he is soooooo comfortable in his room I hate to take him from it) but the new room that we will be making a baby room is a bit bigger and farther from our bedroom, and eventually we would like to have Garrett and his little brother in the bigger room together so what do we do???  Do we switch G to the new room now and perhaps just try to keep it as much of the same as possible or do we put the new baby in the new room and let G stay where he is?  In a perfect world we would move G, and he would do great! just hope for the best, but again, I’m worried that all this change will throw him for a loop, and that’s not fair to him. I just want to do what’s best for my sweet boy.

So we’ve got some decisions to make but we’re very excited to be making them, and to add a new chapter to our life story!  I go back to the Dr’s in a week and a half for my 20 week check-up, so I’ll post a baby and a bump update then!  I can’t believe I’m almost half way through my pregnancy!  That means that fall is just around the corner and I am definitely looking forward to cooler weather for our morning walks!

Any advice on the second bedroom dilemma??

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by Jenny on August 2, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on August 2, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/08/02/boy-oh-boy/

3 Things I Would Like to do Differently This Time Around

As a first time (expecting and New Mom), I had no idea what was in store for pregnancy or Motherhood. I read lots of books and articles, and talked to friends and family members who had kids. I researched a lot on the internet, and read “What to Expect” books and Baby Center religiously, and figured I would just do the best I could do to take care of myself and my baby. Afterall, Motherhood is a natural thing right?? I knew it would be full of challenges, but I had also heard how rewarding it would be. Still today, I am amazed at what my body did to grow and nurture another human being. It’s almost surreal; and now that I’m going through the process again, I am constantly thinking about what I can do better or differently this time around.

  • First and foremost, I have decided I want to take better care of myself. I worked out at the gym quite a bit in the beginning of my first pregnancy, but as time went on, I started slacking. I walked 3 miles around my neighborhood just about every day starting in the middle-ish of my second trimester and continued walking until the day I went to the hospital to be induced, and even though looking back, it wasn’t as much as I could have been doing, it was still something, and for that I was proud. I was able to bounce back pretty quickly after I had Garrett and I know a good part of that was due to the walking I did. Prior to getting pregnant this time around, I had trained and participated in a Sprint Triathlon and I know that after we have this baby, I am going to give my body a break from baby making. So I owe it to myself to get my body back to its’ “happy place” and I also know that in order to get there it is going to require a good amount of weight (on top of my baby weight) loss and LOTS of toning. In order to get a jump-start on this process I am making it a priority to not only walk my 3 miles at least 5 days a week, but to utilize my awesome Gym. They have a GREAT child watch program that I feel very comfortable leaving G at, and a very accommodating class schedule, which allows for me to attend at least 3x a week. Of course I am cautious and I continue to listen to my body and modify when necessary, but I feel great and I’m hoping that if I can keep up this sort of schedule (with some added pre-natal yoga) that I will be able to…
  • Let my body go into labor naturally. My blood pressure was somewhat elevated towards the end of my first pregnancy, and although I tested negative for pre-eclampsia, my Dr’s felt it would be best to induce me at 39 weeks in order to prevent any complications that could arise should my blood pressure continue to rise. Again, being that it was my first pregnancy I was hesitant and a little bummed, but the only thing that mattered to me was that I deliver a healthy baby so I obliged. I don’t know first hand if labor and delivery will be much different without pitocin, but I have heard that it is; and I think that if my body can do what it’s supposed to do without medical intervention, I may be able to go a little bit longer without getting an epidural. I’m not saying that I won’t get an epidural this time too (that thing made L&D much more tolerable) but I do think that if I am able to get up and walk around, or get in the bathtub or sit on a birthing ball (rather than being confined to a bed) during contractions that my mind and body may be more tolerant, and I might be able to prolong the epidural administration. Again, I have no comparison….yet…but I am anxious to see the differences.
  • Breastfeed longer. I was very fortunate that Garrett and I had such an easy transition into breastfeeding. He latched right away and nursed like a champ for several months. He had surpassed his birth weight by 4 days after he was born and he continued to thrive, and didn’t have so much as a stuffy nose the entire time I breastfed. But he was an early teether, which made it somewhat painful to nurse during the day once those chompers came in. He also started to get pretty distracted while nursing around 6.5 months which made it difficult and frustrating for both of us, so I was only able to nurse him when he was sleepy which was at his nighttime or early morning feedings. I continued to pump throughout the day until G was 8.5 months but I HATED pumping and my supply started to deplete a little bit so we had to start supplementing with formula and eventually transitioned him to all formula until he was about 11.5 months which is when we started whole milk. I guess when it comes down to it, we kind of both(meaning G and I) decided to wean, and I am happy that I was able to provide him with breast milk for as long as I did, but I think I would really like to nurse for a full year this time around.

Along with these 3 things, I want to snuggle whenever he/she will let me, take lots of pictures and continue to create tons of great memories with our family. I also really hope I am able to divide my attention equally between the 2 kids and that they will never ever go a day without knowing just how much their Dad and I love and cherish them.

What about you??

Whether you are expecting again or just thinking about the future what is one thing you would like to do differently your second time around?

9 Comments
by Jenny on July 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Exercise, Life, Uncategorized
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Posted by Jenny on July 27, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/07/27/3-things-i-would-like-to-do-differently-this-time-around/

16 Weeks…Baby #2

16 weeks with Baby #2

I am just over 16 weeks pregnant with Baby #2!  Hard to believe that in 2 short weeks we will find out whether G will have a Baby Brother or a Baby Sister!  I cannot wait!

Dan still thinks we’ll have a girl (I think he’s sort of hoping for a girl because that way he thinks he may be able to talk me into being done 🙂  But I still really don’t have a strong feeling either way.  I’ve always said that I want 3-4 kids, and I’ve made it pretty clear that I will not stop until I have at least one girl, so we shall see.

So far, this pregnancy has been pretty similar to my first, but some of my symptoms seem to be a little more exaggerated than they were before.  I’ve felt more nauseous this time, though thankfully I haven’t been sick at all, and I’m super tired, however, now that I’m into my second trimester, the fatigue has started to subside a bit.  I’ve had quite a few headaches as well, but I had them with Garrett too.  Other than showing much more at 16 weeks this time around than with my first pregnancy, I’m feeling pretty good!

16 weeks with Baby #1

I’m still trying to walk every morning for a little over an hour and I’ve finally, after a few weeks of family in town, and a gym hiatus gotten back to working out.  My goal is to walk 5-6 days a week for an hour each time and to take at least 3 spinning/strength classes a week at my gym.  I bought an unlimited month pass at a yoga studio for half price and I’m really looking forward to using that for some prenatal classes, although I’m still trying to figure out which month I will get the most use out of it.  I go back to the Dr. on Friday for my 16 week check up, but it’s just a listen to the heartbeat and weight/blood pressure check so nothing too exciting.  Happily, I’ve been able to pick up the baby’s heartbeat on the doppler device I have at home and it is consistently higher than G’s was.  It continues to be in the upper 160’s to low 170’s so if the wives tales are correct, than maybe we will have a little girl!  Only 2 more weeks til we will know for sure!

I probably won’t post as much with this pregnancy, because I have a 1 year old who likes to have my undivided attention 🙂 though I am enjoying comparing the two, and I do like to keep my out of town family informed, so look for a Baby #2 update every few weeks, unless I have some  exciting news to share!

Until then…

How far along?  16 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 7 lbs from first appointment

Symptoms:  Pretty frequent headaches, a little fatigue, and starting to get lower belly pains after working out specifically

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly, yes….have been since about 13 weeks, but still wear some shirts, and can wear 1 pair of pre-pregnancy shorts with my bella band

Food Cravings of the week:  Nothing too crazy…peanut butter, fresh fruit specifically watermelon, still have an aversion to ground beef, loving these  granola energy balls, and have already made 2 batches!!

Sleep:  Not so great….had to break out my pregnancy pillow again…hubby hates it!

Best Moment this week:  Garrett finally took his first unassisted steps!!!!!

Movement: Flutters and bubbles are becoming more obvious

Belly Button:  Innie, but it’s more stretched from last time

What I miss:  Sleeping on my stomach and abdominal exercises

What I am looking forward to:  Anatomy Scan in 2 weeks!

Milestones: 16 weeks, happy and healthy!

4 Comments
by Jenny on July 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Exercise, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on July 17, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/07/17/16-weeks-baby-2/

Here we go Again!!

So our little man is just a mere 5 days away from his first birthday!  I seriously cannot believe that just about a year ago I was at the Dr being told that they were going to induce me and we were finally going to be able to meet the sweet little guy who had been rolling around and hiccuping in my belly for what felt like so long!  Now almost a year has gone by and I just want time to slow down he’s getting so big so fast!

And he doesn’t seem to be the only one of us getting bigger 😉

Yep,  he’s definitely not the only one getting bigger, but he is going to be the Big Brother!!!!!!!!

Hard to believe that I am only about 11.5 weeks  pregnant in this picture.  I am living proof that you show much earlier with the second one.  I was probably about 18 or 19 weeks before I looked like this with G, although, my uterus didn’t even get a full year to shrink back to it’s normal size after having Garrett, so I guess it is to be expected.

So yes, we are expecting another little one due to arrive on December 30th 2012!!  I think it will be a New Years Baby, but we shall see!  Our newest addition and G will be almost exactly 18 months apart!  Some may think that is pretty close, and it is, but it’s also pretty common.  One of my brothers and myself are 17 months apart, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!  We have a great relationship and I know that the proximity in our age has a lot to do with that.  My hopes are that Garrett and his little brother or sister will grow up to be best buds, and the farther along I get the more excited I become to add another little addition to our family!

You’re probably wondering if we were “trying” and I can’t say that we were planning it down to the due date but Dan and I have always known that we wanted to have at least 2 that were close in age, so we took on the whatever happens happens approach and I am extremely fortunate that I seem to be a fertile Myrtle, but I’m pretty sure that runs in my family 🙂 so when we found out we were kind of like “well alright…here we go again!”  I’ve been excited about this pregnancy since we found out, but I’ve had other emotions as well.  Some days I would be super pumped and feel like I could take on the world, and others I would find myself saying what the hell am I doing?  I’m still trying to figure out how to be a good Mother to my one child, how am I going to do 2??? But I’ve been reassured that these feelings are all normal, and I’m lucky enough to have the best husband in the world to figure it all out with.  Of course I’ve had my moments of anxiety, specifically before each of my Dr’s appointments, but I’ve had 3 ultrasounds all of which showed a strong heartbeat, and I had my 12 week appointment today where again, I was able to hear the heartbeat through the doppler device.  Not to mention my girlfriend is letting me borrow her handheld doppler so I can listen whenever I feel the need.

My symptoms have been pretty similar to those I had with Garrett, although my first telltale sign that I was pregnant came when I was using my favorite bath and body works lotion (that I’ve been using for years) and it smelled much different than it normally does.  I almost didn’t want to use it again because it smelled so musty to me!  My sense of smell is crazy, I like spicy foods, others seem bland, I’ve been a little more nauseous, but haven’t been sick, ground meat repulses me, and fruits and veggies are my go to snack; also… I am absolutely exhausted, but my Husband swears (even though I think he’s nuts,) that I was this tired with G too. I try to lay down and nap or just relax when G takes his afternoon nap and I’m usually in bed before 10 pm.  But other than that, I’m feeling good!  Really the only other difference with this one is that the heart rate has been consistently higher than Garrett’s was.  G’s was always between 150-155 and this one is usually in the upper 160’s or 170’s.  Dan is convinced that this one is a girl…I think it may be too, but I’m not 100% sure yet, only 6 more weeks until we can find out! My belly started popping out a few weeks ago, and it just gets more and more obvious every day.  I’m just about not able to fit into my pre-pregnancy shorts/pants, so it’s back to the maternity drawers I go!  Luckily I have plenty of summer maternity clothes from last year that I’ll be able to wear, but since I wasn’t very pregnant in the winter with G I’ll have to invest in some winter clothes.  Although, if our fall/winter this year is as mild as it was last year, I may be in pretty good shape!

Alright…this post has gone on long enough….thanks for sticking with me through it.  I’ll continue to do updates on Baby #2 whenever something neat happens along with my other posts!

Now to lay down for a few minutes before G wakes up from his nap 🙂

Have a Great Tuesday!

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by Jenny on June 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Baby Cakes, Family, Life, Pregnancy
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Posted by Jenny on June 19, 2012

https://sweetbakesandbabycakes.com/2012/06/19/here-we-go-again/