Tucker: One Month Old!

Baby Tucker,

You are already a month old! We cannot believe it! It seems like you have been a part of this family for a lot longer though :) You are such a good baby too, which has been such a blessing since everyone always says the second child is more high maintenance if your first is easy. Luckily we got two easy-going babies instead.

I don't know what a tiny baby can dream about since they don't have any life experiences, but you must have really vivid ones since you are always laughing in your sleep. Full on belly laughs too and it is such an adorable thing to watch and listen to. You also love giving your brother kisses; which means you try to suck on his face when you are hungry, and he insists on giving you a million kisses. Your brother loves you so much though! He always wants to hold you and never wants to put you down. You are the first thing he asks about when he wakes up too. I hope that bond continues to grow as you both get older.

You seem to sleep a lot more than I remember Trenton doing. But hey, no major complaints here! You pretty much wake up and eat every 3 hours though. You are starting to be more awake in the evenings now, usually right when I am ready to go to bed, of course. We also seem to think you explode through a lot more diapers than Trenton and we are going through so many more outfits! We moved out of newborn clothes and diapers and you are already outgrowing size 1 diapers! You are our little chunker :)

We did see a lactation consultant to see if she had any advice about your choking every time you eat, but of course at our appointment you didn't choke...always goes that way it seems. Some days are better than others, but you still choke :( Hopefully once my milk gets more regulated then the choking will stop. It's just so sad and I can tell it scares you as well.

Since you have great head control already, we have been letting you sleep on your stomach, so you have been getting much sounder sleep, and so do I. Since you still wake up every three hours and I wake up to every little noise you make, we aren't worried at all. We did end up setting up your crib to help with your sleeping since you started to not like the swing as much already. I've also started putting you back in your crib for most of your naps so you will get used to your bed and like it. There has even been a couple times where you fell asleep all by yourself in your crib! I'm hoping this method will help you transition to your crib and sleep through the night a lot sooner than Trenton did. It would definitely make everyone's life much easier!

There have been quite a few nights where you have been inconsolable for a few hours in the evenings and that has been pretty difficult for me. It's sad when I don't know how to help you! Luckily that has been lessening. Sometimes you still have belly aches in the evening though and you cry for awhile.

Last week we had to take you to the doctor because your stuffy nose had gotten so bad that you could hardly breathe, especially at night, and it was affecting your eating (not weight gain though!). I tried essential oils, a humidifier, Vicks on your feet, saline with the Nose Frida (snot sucker), and nothing was working. I was hesitant to take you in for just a stuffy nose, but your doctor heard some slight rattling in your chest so he diagnosed you with bronchiolitis and prescribed you some medicine and a nebulizer. I gave you your breathing treatment that night and you were actually able to breathe right away and we both had the best sleep that night! You still have a stuff nose, but it is getting better. I have to use the Nose Frida at least three times a day to remove all your snot though. But hey, at least you can breathe and sleep! I just wish the nebulizer would work for your brother's cough....He's had this cough since you were born unfortunately.

We discovered that you don't really like my Lillebaby carrier yet because you like to face out, which is sad because I have been looking forward to using this carrier. So I bought a ring sling as well. The first time I put you in the ring sling, you just looked so peaceful and comfortable so I knew you were liking it way better. I've only had it for a day and am still figuring out how to wear it best, but I am pretty sure this will be our go-to baby wearing for awhile; at least until you get bigger and start to like my Lillebaby :)

Over the past couple days you have grown so much! You are starting to put weight on your legs now and standing up while we hold you. Also, you seem to be a Daddy's boy. Daddy's dream since your brother can still care less about him. You smile and laugh the most for Daddy than any other person, even me. That makes me feel like I'm just the food...! But I guess it's only fair that Daddy gets some baby love too :)

You will be having your first holidays and hopefully we will get some cute pictures! We had Thanksgiving at some family's house, and then Aunt Stephanie will be coming this weekend to meet you!

 This was your first time using your nebulizer. I ended up having to give it to you while you were asleep since you weren't a big fan.

 Happy fall! You didn't like me putting you in the leaves either :)

 Look at that cutie :)

Trenton loves taking pictures with you

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Trenton: You're a Big Brother!!

Trenton,

You are a big brother!!! The day before Tucker was born you started another round of your mysterious fevers, so unfortunately you weren't able to come visit us in the hospital. But you did get to spend some good time with Gi-Gi and Pimpa, and spend more time at daycare, which you love! Monday your fever actually went away, surprisingly, but then came back again (side note: this time was different thankfully, and more of a common virus because you didn't have to go to the hospital - yay! and you developed a cough after the 10 days of fevers). On Tuesday, when we came home from the hospital, Daddy dropped Tucker and I off at home then went to pick you up from daycare. When you got home, you didn't really care too much about me or the baby. I did try and get you to give Tucker the present you "got" him (a vibrating rattle), but you didn't really care. Then Tucker "gave" you his present and you had fun opening it. Then you really didn't care about anything else because you got five new Hot Wheels cars, a ball, and some play-doh. We really lost you when Daddy opened up the Lightning McQueen motorized car he bought you :)

After awhile though, you finally took some interest in your baby brother. You got up on the couch and were so excited to hold him! It was the cutest thing. And since then, you love holding your baby :) You are such a good brother too! You try and give him his binkies (after you have used them yourself of course!), push him in his swing (we are working on being more gentle there), and you even try sharing your cars with him! Then get upset when he doesn't grab them from you. But that's okay, because you just wait until the day he takes your toys and you don't want him to!

Whenever Gi-Gi comes over, that is when you seem to get jealous. You will reach out and ask for Baby, but then immediately try shoving him toward her and say "Gi-Gi". Since you have been sick since Tucker was born, I have had to do more than I probably should just because you want nothing to do with Daddy when you are sick :( I hope you outgrow that, because he really wants to take care of you and love on you too!

We are managing well as a family of four and so grateful that you and Tucker have been so good the past week and a half. I also can't believe that your next update will be your second birthday!!! My goodness, I can't believe you are going to be two years old soon....It is going to be a pretty big update I'm sure! We will have had Thanksgiving, got a visit from Aunt Stephanie, Christmas, moved to Omaha (more on that in a minute), celebrated New Year's in a new state, have Grandma Kathy spend two weeks with us, and then your birthday!

Now for Omaha. Mommy and Daddy accepted a position to become house parents to a group of teenagers! So pretty soon you will have 6-8 older "brothers" or "sisters". We are really excited about this new chapter in our lives and pray the transitions go well for everyone. It will definitely be a challenge for us all in so many ways, and there will be some negative influences on you and Tucker that I will not appreciate, but we will be able to show these kids what it means to be in a loving family and have '"parents" who love each other and love them.

I love you, little man. You are growing up to be such an amazing little boy and I am so glad I get to be the one who sees these changes daily.


I love you,

Mommy



Here are some pictures of you and Tucker!

 Your daddy loves you both so much! This is one of my favorite pictures so far of the three of you :)

There is no denying you are brothers either. These pictures were from the day each of you were born

Tucker's Birth Story and First Week of Life

Tucker,

The week leading up to your birth was a long one! After my appointment on Wednesday, I talked to a good friend from Bakersfield who has been a midwife for years. She helped reassure me of numerous things that were said in my appointments and with her help, I decided to cancel my induction on Monday, and instead schedule another bio-physical profile. Thursday evening I started taking evening primrose oil and woke up in the middle of the night with some contractions in my back, but they stopped after about three hours. Then Friday afternoon I sent your brother to daycare and got a one-day free gym pass at a nearby gym so I could go walking and still have a bathroom nearby :) I walked for two hours straight and about 35 minutes into my walk, I finally lost my mucus plug; just 10 days past your due date. I was pretty excited since that was my first big sign that I wouldn't actually be pregnant forever! That night I took some more evening primrose oil and started having contractions in my back again. The only things that seemed to help with the pain were a heating pad and a back massager. The contractions were pretty consistent and close together for a few hours then gradually got further apart and more sporadic. All day Saturday I would have random contractions, which was actually a good thing it wasn't active labor because Trenton also got a fever on Saturday, so we spent the entire day cuddling on the couch trying to fight these stupid fevers. Tucker, I really hope you don't ever get some weird medical phenomenon like your brother, because we are sick of it already!

At 3:00am Daddy went to bed and contractions started up again. I was able to sort of sleep through them, at least sleep between them, for a couple hours. At 5:30am I finally couldn't sleep anymore so got up and started walking around a bit since they went from 10 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart in just those few short hours. They were also consistently about 90 seconds long each, so that was pretty miserable. I called my midwife around 6:00am and let her know we would be at the hospital soon and then went and woke up Daddy. He was kind of upset that I didn't tell him sooner but since I wasn't sure if the contractions were going to continue or die off like before, I figured it would be good for him to get some sleep instead. We got Trenton up and ready to go to Gi-Gi's around 7am and then headed to the hospital! The contractions were getting really bad and only in my back. It felt like a sledge hammer was banging on my spine with every single contraction. Luckily the back massager helped ease the pain in the car as well.

We arrived at the hospital around 8:00am and got checked in and into my room. In order to have a water birth, we both had to be monitored for 30 minutes. It was the longest 30 minutes ever with the worst back labor. I honestly didn't know if I could handle it anymore. Once my 30 minutes of monitoring were up, my midwife checked me and I was already fully dilated! Thank goodness because I was seriously about ready to ask for an epidural; the pain was that bad. My midwife was absolutely amazing and she helped so much. Daddy even said later that having a midwife was like having the support of a husband, but actaully knew what she was doing :) Once I got into the water, it was like a complete transformation. My pain level with each contraction went from a 10-11 to about a 3 or 4. I knew water was supposed to help with pain management but I never imagined it would help that much.

I got into the water around 8:45am and started pushing around 10am. I was so nervous about tearing that I was pretty scared to push, but with the coaching of Joseph and my midwife, you were born at 10:56am of Sunday! I ended up taking some zofran for nausea right when the nausea started just so I didn't have to worry about puking all over the place this time. And guess what?! I didn't vomit during labor this time! As I was pushing, I felt your head go in and out probably three of four times, before you were finally out all the way, and my midwife helped with counter pressure to avoid tearing. It was such a relief when you were born! All the nurses and midwives were really surprised when you were born because you had SO much vernix still on you for being 12 days late. We stayed in the tub under the water for about 5 minutes after you were born, then Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord and hold you while I got out of the tub and back into the bed to deliver the placenta. I did have to get a few stitches for a first degree tear, but I will take it compared to the third degree with Trenton! Even after the placenta was delivered, I was still having some back pain that felt just like my contractions so I was still pretty uncomfortable.

You were born 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches long. And nothing like the ultrasound said. You were only eight ounces and one inch bigger than Trenton, and you actually have a smaller head and smaller belly than he did! You and Trenton look almost exactly alike and I love it. I always wanted my kids to all look similar :) You are so serious though! And you have hardly opened your eyes in your entire week of life so far. Daddy and I can't wait to see what your personality is going to be like as you grow up.

Maybe about an hour after you were born, one of my nurses was in my room chatting with us when all of the sudden I got extremely nauseous. I immediately told Daddy to take you while the nurse grabbed a bed pan for me. Right before I started puking I told her I was dizzy as well. Then after I puked a couple times I passed out. Luckily this time I was in the bed so didn't hit the floor. I guess Daddy was so scared during all this and so grateful a nurse was in the room when I passed out. A bunch of nurses and my midwife came rushing back in, and even though I was concious, I just couldn't open my eyes and could barely talk. I guess I was extremely pale as well. It turned out I had quite a few huge blood clots still and that was also what was causing my back to still hurt. I had to stay in the delivery room for quite a few more hours because I couldn't stand up without getting dizzy and short of breath. During those hours they found a few more big blood clots that hurt when they pushed them out. No fun at all! I got a bunch of different medicines to help stop the bleeding and who knows what else (I don't remember what they were for).

Then all of the sudden I started shaking and shivering really bad and it kept getting worse. The nurses bundled me up with every single warm blanket they had on the floor and I was still shaking horribly. The nurses were saying I was shaking as bad as the worst O.R. patient. Eventually the shaking ceased, but then I got a low grade fever so we had to stay in the delivery room for even longer. It turns out I had a bad reaction to one of the medicines I had to take. Once the shaking finally stopped, my body was sore from being so tense for so long.

Once we finally were able to move to the recovery room, I still had to have two nurses help me to the bathroom, but not nearly as long as with Trenton. I was able to actually go to the bathroom by myself like a big girl after only a few more hours :) I did have to get my blood drawn to make sure I didn't need a transfusion this time, and luckily even though my iron levels were low, I was still safe. I just have to take iron supplements for the next few months.

Unfortunately, since Daddy didn't have any time off, he had to go to work on Monday. But my nurses were all wonderful and helped me with anything that I needed. You also started nursing right away and practically nursed for the first couple hours of your life. Everyone was pretty impressed :) Your first night you nursed quite a bit, but then of course your second night you refused to wake up and went eight hours without eating. Nursing was starting to get a little bit painful and I knew it was because you had such a shallow latch, so I called the lactation consultant to get some pointers and a little refresher course. Since my milk came in, I have a very strong let down and I keep choking you almost every time you nurse. And of course it scares me every single time and I'm afraid the next time you won't be able to catch your breath :( We are working on fixing this problem, but it takes time and I get nervous every time it's time to nurse.

We got to go home on Tuesday afternoon and luckily we barely beat all the traffic coming home. So win for us there. Daddy dropped you and I off at home and then went to pick up Trenton from daycare so we could have our first meeting of a family of four! You were supposed to meet your big brother in the hospital but he still had his fever so wasn't allowed in the hospital :( I had it all planned and even made matching shirts so I could take cute pictures of you together but that never worked out. You did "give" Trenton a present when you first met that had some new Hot Wheels cars, a ball, and some play-doh, and Trenton "gave" you a vibrating monkey toy. Trenton could really care less about you at first and was way more excited about his new cars, but eventually he came around and wanted to hold you! It was so sweet. He loves holding you all the time and I love it. Though whenever you start crying he pushes you away very quickly.

My recovery this time around has been a million times better and I actually find myself wanting to do too much because I feel so good. Then that backfires on me of course. Since Trenton has been having fevers this week, I am very glad I have the physical capability to take care of you both while Daddy is at work. Plus, Gi-Gi has come over in the evenings to help. Speaking of your Daddy though, he has been absolutely amazing since we came home and has forced me to rest as much as possible. I fall more and more in love with him every day and I'm so glad he is your Daddy.

We took you to your first doctor's appointment at four days old and you were already EIGHT ounces above your birth weight at 9 pounds 4 ounces! You are my little chunker :) Especially because at 5 days old, I was tired of changing your clothes from diaper leaks five times a day and we moved up to size 1 diapers already. And we are going to have to pack up your newborn clothes and pull out the 0-3 month clothes this week because you are already pretty cramped in the newborn clothes.

We are so glad that you are FINALLY here! Our little family is complete and we are ready to move onto our next steps in life :)

There is no denying you are brothers!

I was trying to wake you up but you weren't having it! So serious....

All of your sweet little features :)

 

Our first Mommy-Son picture!

I made cute little matching shirts! Maybe one day I will get both of you in your shirts to take a picture. Just a little late

You and Trenton love each so much!

Trenton was really excited to hold you for the first time

Pure love :)

I love your sweet sleepy baby smiles!

At one week old, you are smiling more in your sleep

Baby #2: 41 Weeks

Tucker,

You are one stubborn child! I have a feeling we are going to have to read all the books on strong-willed children in the future....

I had an ultrasound on Monday at a specialist's office. Though I know ultrasounds, especially this late in a pregnancy, are not very accurate and can be off by quite a bit, but it was still a bit unnerving to find out that they guess you to already weigh 9 pounds! Which considering Trenton was 8lbs 3oz, it really isn't THAT much bigger than him; if you do end up being 9 pounds. Pretty much my conclusion of the ultrasound though was that you are a fat, short little dude with a big head. :) Your head and abdomen were measuring big, and your femur (for height) was measuring small. Even my midwife said your head felt "pretty big" last week...Don't worry though, Trenton had/has a big head and a big belly too. Though I am pretty sure your head is going to be bigger. According to the ultrasound you were in the 97th percentile and the specialty doctor recommended an induction by no later than today (Wednesday, at 41 weeks and 1 day). By the time I was done with the ultrasound, it was already too late to call my OB office to talk about the results, so of course Monday afternoon I was upset of the likelihood of an induction. So in order to sulk in my sadness, I stopped at Pasta Bella and picked up a big slice of red velvet cheesecake and ate away my sorrows after Trenton went to bed :) Now either I was sadder than I thought, or you were really in the mood for cheesecake too, because I have never been able to finish an entire slice of their cheesecake in one sitting. Until now. But hey, it was delicious!!

On Tuesday, I was able to talk to the OB at my doctor's office and after reviewing my ultrasound, she said I didn't need an induction right away! She recommended I not go past 42 weeks though so I do have an induction scheduled for Monday morning. Now let's just hope I don't need it! She also wants me to go into labor naturally because I am at risk for a failed induction with you being so big. I definitely want to avoid a c-section. Plus inductions scare me as well with all the stories I hear about Pitocin contractions being extremely painful. She also said I am at risk for your shoulders getting stuck, but she reassured me that we will try everything and every position imaginable to get you out naturally with (hopefully) as little tearing as possible.

I had an appointment with my midwife this afternoon to talk more about my ultrasound and such. But first, I got a wonderful prenatal massage from a new friend this morning and she focused on all the labor-inducing pressure points :) So hopefully that will help convince you to be born soon! At my appointment, my midwife stripped my membranes to hopefully get things going as well. She said if it is going to work, then I will go into labor within 48 hours. But of course no guarantees. I was a bit nervous since some people said membrane stripping hurt. But it actually didn't! It wasn't even uncomfortable. So that was a plus. She did have some trouble with it though because she said your head was on top of my cervix so it was difficult to strip. This is my favorite midwife at my practice and she happens to be on call at the hospital this weekend, so it would be nice to have her during my delivery.

I also had a fetal non-stress test today. The poor nurse spent about 10-15 minutes trying to get the machine to pick up your heartbeat but you were not having it! You kept moving from side to side and once she finally got a reading, you would kick so hard that you moved the monitor off. See....stubborn little boy! :) You never did like getting your heart rate taken though. It's like you can sense the machines and "run" away. Silly baby. But you passed your NST with flying colors and everything looks perfect :)

At Daddy's work, a bunch of co-workers have had a betting pool going about when you would be born. There were about 25 people that have taken part in this bet and all but one are out. Everyone gets mad when they see Daddy walk into work because they know you are not born yet. They are all pretty upset with us :)

At least I know this will actually be my last tummy picture since you will be evicted on Monday. I hope you decide to move out before the eviction goes into effect though :)

Baby # 2: 40 Weeks

Tucker,

I never thought I would be making this post, but apparently you are pretty comfortable in there! Maybe you just prefer the October 21st due date rather than the October 14th due date. I hope you are born before next week though! It's really hard to not let it get to your head when so many people tell you that the second baby tends to come sooner than the first. That is definitely not true with you! People also keep telling me that the second labor tends to be shorter, and also that tearing doesn't typically happen, or at least not as bad, the second time around. I REALLY hope these last two things are true though. Especially about the tearing since that is one thing I have been very nervous about.

The past couple weeks I have had some horrible tailbone and hip pain and unfortunately the chiropractor did not help. It was so bad that just walking or moving in general was really painful. Thankfully I discovered the heating pad helped a lot. Too bad I had to have it on practically 24/7. But hey, whatever works! The pain has also caused some spasms in my lower back and hips, but the heating pad has helped with those also, thankfully.

Whenever your future wife is pregnant, please remember that pregnancy brain is a real thing. And it seems to be worse with the second kid. It's ridiculous really. I have locked myself out of the house and car twice and also parked in a reserved parking spot at work. The place where I have worked for over three years...

I decided to take my maternity leave early this time, so Monday (the day beofre your due date) was my first day of being a stay at home mom! We would love to have you join us though, but for now it has been a fun couple days just doing nothing and playing with Trenton all day. Oh, and sleeping in! Since Trenton doesn't wake up until 9am, and I always woke up at 5:45am for work, I can't be more excited about the sleeping in part of being a stay at home mom :) I really hope you are a good sleeper too!

At my 40 week appointment today, you have dropped even lower into my pelvis. Last week my uterus measured 38 weeks and this week it measured 35 weeks. So that is exciting. You are in a good position for labor and birth too. Now we just need to convince you to be born! We don't want to have to evict you now....

Hopefully I won't need it, but we scheduled an ultrasound for next Monday and a non-stress test on Wednesday, along with my 41 week appointment. We all hope you decide to make your debut before then, but if not, it'll be fun to see a picture of you. I'm really hoping you are born this week so hopefully I can feel up to taking a family trip to a pumpkin patch and/or going to a Halloween festival. We don't have any costumes for either of you, but that's okay, it would still be fun. Our church also has a baby dedication coming up in just a couple weeks, so we would love to be able to attend that and dedicated you and our family to the Lord as a proclamation to raise you in a godly home. So get to movin' little man! :)


The picture is a bit blurry for some reason :( oh well.

Trenton: 21 Months

Trenton,

You have grown SO much the past three months! I thought you grew a lot for the last post but nope! You turn 21 months this month; almost a two year old! Your baby brother is also due to be born any day now, so we will post again once that finally happens J

 

Silly Things:

-If there is water (or any liquid) on the floor, usually from you spilling your sippy cups, you splash around in it and then lick it up...weird kid

-We went to the mall one day and came across some stupid things strangers say to parents about their toddlers:

            -“Is that his natural [hair] color?” –no….we dye our one year old’s hair…..

            -“Oh he is signing ‘more’. That means he wants more.” –why yes, stranger, we are his parents. Where else do you think he learned sign language?

-We are convinced that sometimes you just say you are hungry just because you know we will get up and get you something to eat. Because almost every time we are sitting or lying down and you try to pull us up and we don’t comply, you immediately sign “eat”, even if you just ate an entire meal 5 minutes earlier and we KNOW you can’t possibly be hungry again that quickly.


Changes in Life:

-You started daycare in August. The first day was rough, but by the second day you didn't even want to leave! It was a very proud parent moment :) You only go three afternoons a week, so it's not much, but all the teachers and kids love you and you love them. Every time I go to pick you up, it takes forever for us to actually leave because you have to show me all the cars and then the bikes and then the "big kid" room. You starting daycare was a bit stressful for me though. Not only was I afraid of you bringing home every illness imaginable (you actually only got a cold once), but no one can take care of you like Mommy and Daddy. But we knew you were ready (along with us not having any choice) and you have definitely proved that to us. Unfortunately the end of October is your last day of daycare since I am now on maternity leave and not bringing home as much money.

-At the beginning of October, after I picked you up from daycare, I asked if you had fun at school today and you said, “School??? Hahahahahaha”. I’ll take that as a yes J and when we left, all the big kids wanted to give you a hug goodbye. I think you’re a popular little dude J

-You are absolutely obsessed with cars. You actually don’t play with any other toys anymore. Only your cars; and you have to have multiple cars with you. It’s actually pretty amazing how many cars you can maneuver and pick up in those little hands of yours. You have recently become addicted to the Disney’s Cars movie as well. You don’t even want to watch anything else anymore and freak out if we try and change it. I used to love that movie; but after only a few days of watching it non-stop I am already starting to hate it...

 

Memories Made:

-We got to go to the beach finally! We spent the weekend with Uncle Kasey and Daddy's friend from work, Angie, and we went to Hilton Head and Savannah. You have become a little daredevil though and definitely changed since last summer's beach trip! This time you kept wanting to walk further and further out into the ocean. A little too daring for my liking sometimes J. We didn’t let you go out too far though because there were a lot of jellyfish and so many people were getting stung L. You also had fun digging in the sand this year, and also thought every toy you saw was yours and tried to steal other kids’ toys….

-Daddy always said he would never let his kid dictate what was watched on TV. That he was the adult and the kid would just have to deal. He was always so adamant about that too. So naturally I couldn’t wait for that day to come where you made him watch some cartoon. Well, that day came at the end of August! And of course I laughed and pointed it out that he was just proven wrong J You started crying because Daddy wouldn’t let you watch the Barney or VeggieTales theme songs. Now you have dictated the TV way more because we just don’t want to deal with your fits sometimes. L

-Over Labor Day weekend we took you to this really cool kids indoor gym thing called HippoHop and you had so much fun! It was filled with cool bounce houses and obstacle courses and push toys for the littler guys like you. Daddy got his own workout too since he was the one who had to go with you through all the obstacle courses and jump houses J You saw a little girl in the Under Twos room that was probably around 9 months and you were very interested in her. You would walk up to her slowly and keep saying “baby”. Then one time you walked up to her and gave her a big hug! It was by far the cutest, most precious thing I’ve seen you do and it just melted my heart. Plus it gave me hope and confidence that you will be a fantastic big brother soon J you are so sweet and loving and I hope you use that gift to bring glory to God one day J

 

Big Moments for You:

-Over Labor Day weekend your vocabulary jumped tremendously and now you talk ALL the time! Apparently “carcar” means Barney. We spent 5 minutes going through different cartoon pictures and you crying at each one because it wasn’t what you wanted and I didn’t understand you. Then I finally clicked on Barney and you got super excited. But of course you only like the theme song so I had to start over and over again……

-“A-boss” means applesauce; and some of your favorite things to say are “Aww man!!” and “Oh no!!”” You say oh no with such concern on your face and it is so adorable. Ice is also your new favorite snack so you are always asking for it saying “Ice!! Ice! Pease? PEASE!!!!!” silly boy. Even since Labor Day, your pronunciation has gotten so much better.

-You are so curious (and can be annoying). Everywhere we go you ask what everything is by pointing at it and saying “huh??” and I mean everything. From lights to every single item in the grocery store….. J

-I can’t believe how much of a toddler you are becoming. You are no longer my “baby” (though you will always be my baby). You talk so much and run around all over the place. You also roll all over the ground playing with your cars.

-You finally learned how to shake your head yes and it is so cute. It’s very exaggerated and slow.

-You’ve started to love Daddy more and want to always be around him more and more. We knew this day would come eventually where you chose dad over mom, I just thought maybe it would be a little bit further down the road J Daddy isn’t too sure he likes it after all though haha you follow him around everywhere and are always wanting to play with him. I love listening and watching you two play together. It just melts my heart.

-On my first day of maternity leave, I was giving you a hug and kiss before Daddy took you to school (aka daycare), and you did not want to stay in my arms long after. You immediately reached over for Uncle Kasey and then signed “I love you” to me. I was shocked and kind of sad that you don’t need me as much anymore, but also so proud of you for growing into an independent little boy.

 

My Observations and Hopes:

-Whenever I take you with me to the doctor and my midwife listens to Tucker’s heartbeat, or actually just touches me in general, you get so protective of me and start crying and reaching for me. I think you have a lot of protector instincts in you and this is something I hope we can help you grow and turn into something good for your future and use it to help those around you.

-I am so grateful that we have such a healthy and smart little boy. I am part of a large group of mamas on Facebook and sadly I encounter many stories of children with cancer or other life threatening diseases, or even death. I pray that you stay this way for a very long time. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and heartache these other parents go through to watch their babies in pain. I look at you, almost two years old, and think, how could something so small and precious have something so big and horribly wrong growing in their body? I cannot imagine being in their shoes. I am so grateful for your health and safety, Trenton, and I hope we can remember to never take advantage of it.

 

Trenton, next time I make a post, you will be a big brother!! I hope it is soon J We are so excited to finally become a family of four.

 We took some maternity/family photos and this is one of my favorites :)

 

 

 My two favorite men :)

 

 

You and Daddy jumping in the bounce house at HippoHop! I think this is what made you love to jump on the couches and bed now too. You need your own trampoline

  

 You just love to show me the bikes at school

 

 How to Eat Ketchup 101....

 

 

 Daddy took you to the Touch a Truck event and you loved it!!

 

 Daddy had to take you to the doctor one day and the doctor gave you your first lollipop

 

 We had our own Touch a Truck event in our street since they have been doing construction. We have tractors everywhere and we spent the evening walking around and playing on them.

 

 Look at that face!! You and swings....

 

Daddy took you on the train at the mall too. And you haven't stopped talking about it since :)

 

 

As I was posting these pictures, I am realizing that I need some more pictures of you and I together! Hopefully we can work on that and get other people to take pictures of us together.

Baby #2: 38 Weeks

Tucker,

I think we figured out why you seem so much more active than Trenton was at this point in time. At my 37 week appointment my midwife determined that you were posterior, so you were facing my belly button instead of my spine like you should be. So (in my "professional" opinion) I was able to feel your kicks and punches much more since your hands and feet were outward. But my midwife did tell me the BEST kept secret of pregnancy though. Seriously, the best kept. I wish I would've known about this a long long time ago. In order to get you to turn around, she recommended getting one of those pool ring floaties and sleeping on that with my stomach in the middle of the ring. The most amazing thing ever to be able to sleep on my stomach again! It's been glorious. And of course I told all my mommy friends who are excited to use this secret as well. Not only have I been able to sleep on my stomach, but after just a few days, you have turned! I know you were facing my right hip yesterday, but I think you are finally turned all the way around today! You have also dropped lower into my pelvis so I can breathe a little bit easier and also am able to twist and stretch my back now that you are out of my ribcage. So good news for us :)

You are measuring exactly 38 weeks which makes the 14th your due date. But of course we all are hoping you decide to make your appearance a little bit early. I decided my last day of work is going to be the 10th though. So if you do come on or after your due date, I get a few days to experience what it's like to truly be a stay at home mom to just a toddler. I am hoping I can take Trenton to a couple meetups with my MOPS group (that I haven't been able to attend this year yet unfortunately). I am looking forward to my last day of work very much. Plus, once you are born, I will be able to finally attend my MOPS group!

For the past few weeks my feet, and even my hands some, have been so swollen. Mostly my feet though, to where shoes barely even fit. It's horrible. I have even resorted to wearing slippers around my office. Shhhh! Don't tell. But Aunt Stephanie, Sherry, Grandma Kathy, Great Grandma Norma, and Gigi all got me certificates to make the perfect spa day and I've been saving them for this special occasion. Last weekend I was able to spend the afternoon pampering myself and it was pure delight. I got a foot reflexology (which helped tremendously with the swelling), facial, and massage, then went and got a manicure and pedicure. I haven't felt so relaxed and relatively pain free in 8 months. I was even able to finally vacuum and mop the house when I got home, since I couldn't even remember the last time we mopped. But then I got in trouble by Daddy for potentially doing to much and putting myself back to where I was. Oops :) You have such a wonderful protective Daddy and I do love him so much!

We keep wondering what you are going to be like. What you will look like, what your personality will be like, who you will be....It's hard to not compare at this point in time because we only have Trenton as our only experience as parents. But we know you are you're own little person and we can't wait to see who you will become.

We can't wait to meet you, little man! Please come; any day now :)


Love Always,

Mommy

Baby #2: 36 Weeks

Tucker,

Sometimes I feel like you are SO big! I am very curious to see how much you will weigh when you are born. And if you have a big head like your brother :)

Not too much happened this month with you though! My feet did start swelling up a bit so that hasn't been very fun. Also the first weekend of September was a pretty intense one for you and I. On aturday, I started getting some pretty bad Braxton Hicks contractions. Though for the longest time I wasn't exactly sure what they were since I never had any with Trenton. But by the evening I was hurting pretty bad. Luckily some Tylenol and a long hot shower before bed helped. Then Sunday we sent Trenton to Gigi and Pimpa's house for the day so I could rest. Daddy pretty much put me on bedrest all day. He took really good care of you and I, even if he was a bit too over the top :) Anytime I would move or put my feet on the floor he would quickly ask, "What are you doing??" But I wouldn't trade my sometimes overprotective, eccentric husband to be your day any day :) Sunday was pretty bad pain-wise though. You know when you get the flu and you have intense body aches? Well, that was me all day, minus the actual flu part. Every single bone and joint in my body ached so terribly bad! Plus I got these random sore spots on my hand, arm, and foot that felt like bad bruising but with no visible signs. It was weird. Luckily I took some more Tylenol in the evening and it did it's magic again! When I went to work on Monday I was feeling a lot better, though still hurting, and by Thursday I was back to normal. I have been taking it really easy since then though, because we definitely do not want you to come before 37 weeks!

This month I also had my water birth class at the hospital. I was supposed to have a tour of the hospital too but stupid Atlanta traffic....it took me 2 1/2 hours to get to the hospital!!! I was livid. Plus with the raging hormones, I was just a bucket full of tears in my car. I made it for the water birth class though and that was the most important part. I can't have a water birth if I don't take the class. I loved the class though. I got some more good insight on water birth and what it is like at this hospital. I am really hoping with laboring and birthing in the water that I won't tear, or at least not nearly as bad as with Trenton. I would really like to avoid being on bedrest and the possibility of a blood transfusion again! So Mr. Tucker, you need to work with me here and be nice to my body, okay?

One big thing is happening next weekend for our family though! Daddy and I are flying to Omaha, Nebraska for a job interview! We are really hoping we get to become house parents of a group of teenagers. We feel like this job/lifestyle change would be a huge, wonderful impact on our family, plus we would be able to pour our lives into more kids and be great examples of parents and adults that these kids need. So hopefully on your next post, we will get to share the good news of your birth AND of our new job :)

Baby #2: 32 Weeks

Baby Tucker,

It has been a long month. I actually have no idea where it went or what happened. I seem to forget things more easily recently.....I think you are sucking all my brain cells away ;)

We did get to go to the beach finally! We spent the weekend in Savannah and Hilton Head and it was wonderful! It was my first time (ever) in a bathing suit while pregnant though, so that had some weird moments (in my head) for me. But we had a lot of fun and I cannot wait until we can take you to the beach one day! A month or so ago I finally gave in and bought a maternity support belly band. And even though it is ugly and bulky (though I do wear it under my shirts), it definitely has helped. I wore it quite a bit while walking around Savannah. It helps me be able to breathe better as well as the cramps I would always get from walking more than 10 steps and faster than a turtle's pace.

Sometimes I do forget how big I am though. I will occasionally run into things with my belly. Like desks or doors or walls.....luckily no one has really seen me do these things and its just embarrassing to me :) At least I don't think anyone has seen me....

Trenton did this too, but you seem even more active than he was. But I hate it when you kick my belly button! It's such a weird feeling that doesn't necessarily hurt, but just feels weird. I guess sort of like when you hit your funny bone?

Last week we went consignment shopping and got a few things for you (though pretty much everything you will wear and use will be hand-me-downs. Sorry!), some winter/older clothes for Trenton, and some things for your baby cousin, Kennedy! It was fun shopping for a girl :) I also went through all the baby stuff we already had to see what we won't need with you and what we could purge. We have a TON of baby clothes that we definitely do not need.

We also seem to have a magical box-carrying fairy in our house recently. The bags of clothes and supplies purchased at the consignment sale, and the boxes of baby stuff in the basement magically appeared upstairs when no one else was home! It's a miracle, really :) The fairy only likes to make an appearance when I am the only one home though. He is quite shy, I guess.

There isn't really much more to report this month for you, Tucker! Which I guess is a good thing right? I did have my 32 week apointment last Friday. You are measuring 33 weeks actually. Which would put you measuring 40 weeks around October 10th. When talking to my midwife though, apparently my "official" due date that they have down is October 14th, not the 21st. Which means you would technically be considered full-term on September 16th. Now I really wouldn't mind if you decided to come early....say the last week of September or the first week of October?? I still have it in my head that you are due October 21st anyways. But I guess we will see!

Daddy and I have some potential life changing opportunities coming up that we are really excited for. Though I don't want to mention anything yet just in case it doesn't happen. But if things continue to move forward, I may need to fly out of state for a day or two before you are born. So just don't come until after we get back ok? I've had a couple dreams of me going into labor while on the plane and then having to rush to the hospital as soon as we land. I really want my water birth, Tucker, so if labor starts on the plane, just wait until we can make it to the hospital and fill up the birthing tub! And I definitely don't want to have a baby in another state....!


We took some maternity/familiy pictures a few weeks ago as well. We are one cute little family :) I can't wait to take more photos when you are born :)

 

And of course my monthly photo. I have definitely gained weight in more than just my midsection this time :( It will be nice to start working out and losing the baby weight again! But we are so close, baby boy...!!