and baby makes three...

Thanksgiving 2012

2012-11-21T22:05:00.002-05:00

Life lately has been hectic to say the least but this little family of mine is what I am most thankful for! Happy thanksgiving, y'all!

{image credit: rori dellinger photography}

Moms on Call Update

2012-09-28T16:22:00.003-04:00

We started the MOC program when O was only 3 weeks old. We specifically followed the night time schedule/routine and was successful. Swaddling plus white noise is what was missing in our routine. She started sleeping 3 hour stretches at night which turned into 4 hours and about a week ago she started sleeping from 9 to 645 and only getting up once to eat. She did this up until a couple of days ago and sleep since then has been lacking.

We didn't change a thing...bath, feed, swaddle and white noise. There are nights when she would go down easy without a fight before 9, up between 2 and 230, eat and then back down again until almost 7am. I like to blame growth spurts every night that she fights her sleep.

We are sticking to the MOC schedule and technique but I think it's the swaddle that's the issue. She was busting out of the regular swaddle when we used Aden + Anais blankets and we only used them for a couple of nights. We switched to SwaddleMe blankets and they are working well but I think that she's getting too big and strong for them. She can't get out of them but her arms can definitely move while she's wearing the blanket.

I was browsing the internet this morning and was ready to switch over to the Miracle Blanket but at $25 a pop I searched some more. There's just no way that I can justify spending $25 on something that could possibly fail but then again getting good sleep every night is definitely worth more than $25!

During this browsing session, I didn't realize that there are so many different ways to swaddle a baby. The technique called a double swaddle is what really caught my attention. It seems pretty easy to do and I already have blankets that will work. The video is very easy to follow and I've already tried it on O and she is currently passed out napping in her crib for more than an hour now. I can't wait to try this tonight and hopefully solve the sleeping issue we have been experiencing lately.

Moms on Call

2012-09-06T12:35:00.003-04:00

I heard of Moms On Call for the very first time while reading Blueeyedbride's blog. She raved so much about them that I made sure to remember it with second baby in mind even before I got pregnant.

I bought the 0-6 months book a couple of weeks before my due date with OG but never really got around to finish reading it before giving birth. I brought the book with me to the hospital so that I could finish reading it but that also didn't happen.

Between the newborn, a toddler, exhaustion and everything else that comes along with life, I just now finished reading the book! Yes, my newborn is almost three weeks old and I'm clearly behind! I just watched their YouTube video of how to swaddle and I am truly amazed by how big of a difference their technique and swaddling in general can do to a screaming ~~hyena~~ newborn.

This picture was taken not even 2 minutes after she was screaming like I was trying to remove her arm from her body with my bare hands!

My Friday Brain Dump

2012-08-03T09:11:00.003-04:00

I am 38 weeks today and I am officially over the waiting game. I just want to meet and hold this baby girl who still does not have a name.

I feel like this baby does not want to come out but I am on panic mode trying to get everything done and ready.

It's a 3-day weekend for me and I plan on purging and cleaning. A lot. We are semi-hoarders and it's about time that we let go of some things that we can live without.

Is it me or does the older sibling present from the new baby just the most backwards idea ever? How can a newborn go shopping for a present? Shouldn't the older sibling be the one giving the new baby a present?

The full moon the other day didn't do jack for my pregnancy. Not that I was expecting it to, but still.

The Olympics' schedule is driving me nuts! I can no longer stay up until midnight. I come to work exhausted due to lack of sleep. I wish the lack of sleep was due to a newborn instead.

I wanted to do fun family things with K this weekend but J is working the whole time.

I need a haircut and I also want to find a house cleaning service to do one deep clean before baby comes.

The infant car seat needs to be installed and I also need a car wash/vacuum some kind of bad.

I'm itching to buy normal clothes but I'm afraid that I'll buy the wrong size.

This brain dump stinks. I feel incoherent. It's probably because I'm so sleepy.

Full-Term!

2012-07-28T13:06:00.002-04:00

How far along: 37 weeks.
Total weight gain: 19 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Still the same rotation of maternity work clothes. I'm sure my co-workers are starting to wonder why I wear the same things over and over again. I refuse to buy anything at this point specially with the pregnancy being so close to the end.
Food cravings: Iced coffee and Coke.
Sleep: One would think that my newborn is here due to the amount of sleep I'm not getting. It's truly been awful. I get maybe a couple of nights a week when I can sleep pretty decent.
Highlights: Not really a highlight but almost a bit of a scare. Baby's heart rate was on the high side during my appointment yesterday and my doctor sent me in for a fetal non-stress test to make sure everything was okay. The test went perfect and baby girl is staying in for now.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was slacking so much with this second pregnancy that it was starting to freak me out a little. Being full-term and the quick scare yesterday definitely gave me that push to start working on my to-do list. I was having mild contractions a couple of days ago which freaked me out a little. I semi-packed my hospital bag that evening and placed an Amazon order for little things that I still needed. After the fetal NST yesterday, I stopped by Target to get a couple more things. I was also able to organize dresser & closet and even did a load of laundry.

I am now at a point where I have back to back events at work with hardly any break in between to do anything. There is still a short list of things I need to buy and a pretty long to-do list. I was hoping that J & I could use these last few weeks to do some fun things with K while she's still the only child but having the same days off are very few and far between. The man can hardly take one day off out of a full week! I joke around that he will literally be with me the day I go into labor and give birth and will be back at work the following day.

Mom Fail Moment

2012-06-25T13:50:00.003-04:00

I decided yesterday afternoon that I was going to sort through this one giant bin of K's old clothes so that I can start a pile of what needs washing before baby #2 is born. The top of the bin had swaddle blankets and burp cloths. I started digging some more and quickly realized that NO, I did not save any of K's tiny baby clothes. Sure, I had some 6 months and up as well as all the precious smocked outfits, but clothes for newborn babies, not so much!

It dawned on me that I must have been so exhausted when K was an infant and wasn't thinking straight that I literally gave all the newborn clothing away! I could have sworn that I saved some of them but obviously not. There was a girl with a newborn baby who was a couple of months younger than K at my old job who didn't have much. I thought I only gave her some clothes.

There goes another thing to add to my ever-growing to-do list. This should be an interesting 7 weeks or so.

32 Week Bumpdate

2012-06-22T17:05:00.003-04:00

(31 week bump picture taken at Target. Ha!)

How far along: 32 weeks.
Total weight gain: 15 lbs.
Maternity clothes: I really held out on this pregnancy and didn't buy much. I saved a lot of my old maternity clothes from the first pregnancy and that was working for a good bit but it's now getting too hot and my shirts are getting too short. I need to get some maxi dresses that are work appropriate and are also postpartum friendly.
Food cravings: Caffeine-free Coke and caffeine-free coffee are a must for me but that's no different from when I'm not pregnant.
Sleep: Still awful! The pregnancy insomnia has slowed down some but I am getting more and more uncomfortable.
Highlights: Baby girl is head down and this makes me very happy! I just hope she stays that way until it's go time. Doctor told me yesterday that this late in the game, babies tend to stay the way they are so I am crossing my fingers. Doctor also mentioned that second babies tend to come earlier than the first and labor is usually half as long. I'm taking their words with a grain of salt but remaining hopeful and crossing my fingers.

Homestretch...

2012-05-16T16:04:00.002-04:00

Maybe not quite the homestretch but hitting the 3rd trimester seemed so far away a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe that there's only 13 weeks left until my due date. That's only 91 days in case you're trying to do the math!

This pregnancy is definitely going really fast. Between a full-time job and an almost 3 year old, I haven't really had much time to just sit there. It also feels like the closer I get to my due date, the longer my to-do list is becoming. Next thing you know I will wake up and it's August 17. I'm really hoping that this baby comes a little earlier than that since J's birthday is on the 21st but having the baby on J's birthday will not only be the best present for him but also easy when it comes to celebrations and parties.

Mom helped me clean up the baby's room last weekend and the goal this weekend is to start purging. The fabric for the crib skirt has also been ordered and I can't wait for my mom to get started on that. She's also going make the drapes and some throw pillow covers. I'm just excited that I can no longer change my mind about the fabric since it has been ordered and shipped.

Sleep? Nap?

2012-05-06T21:34:00.003-04:00

What are those??

I've read 2 books out of 3. I'm sure you have heard of this trilogy. If not, you probably live under a rock. Or in a cave. I have literally been staying up way past my bedtime reading since Thursday night. Good thing I am off tomorrow. Ha!

Baby Number 2: 25 Weeks

2012-05-04T09:09:00.002-04:00

How far along: 25 weeks.
Total weight gain: 9 pounds. A very surprising but great number to me. I thought it'd be more than that since I've been dessert-binging with J&K.
Maternity clothes: Definitely maternity pants. I need more shirts for work and weekends. I like my shirts long to begin with so my non-maternity clothes are currently working fine.
Food cravings: Nothing crazy but I'm pretty sure I can survive off chicken salad from this local sandwich place and Chipotle's burrito bowl.
Sleep: Awful! I have been sleeping very little on work nights but I definitely make up for it during
Highlights: Looking forward to window shopping on Saturday for the little. We are compiling a list of what things we need. We are after all only 105 days away from baby girl's due date who still does not have a name.

Saturday in Pictures

2012-04-21T22:08:00.003-04:00

We made a quick trip to the pediatrician due to a cough K's had for a couple of weeks now. She has seasonal allergies and took on the nebulizer so bravely. She's now using the inhaler twice a day and need to take Zyrtec once a day 'til this pesky cough is gone!

I made king ranch chicken for the 1st time and it was a hit! I used the Kitchen Aid trick to shred the chicken and it literally took less that a minute!

My mom is a very well rounded homemaker. She's really good at everything. Cooking. Gardening. And she can sew! I asked her if she can make the crib skirt and sheet for the baby and she agreed. I've been all over the internet looking for ideas and fabric options. These fabric combinations from Caitlin Wilson Textiles are so fun and pretty!

Catching Up

2012-04-02T22:27:00.002-04:00

Family: Wonderful like always. K is so busy lately. She says the funniest things and her vocabulary is just insane. I know every parent thinks that their child is the funniest kid but my kid says 'fo sho'. Ha! We try to spend as much time together as we possibly can. The 3 of us that is. But it seems that when J is off I'm working and vice versa. Time together as a family is definitely our number 1 priority.

Work: Eh. It's work. Not much to say there. It's about to get really busy with major conventions left and right. I'm seriously looking forward to my maternity leave so I can get a break and stay home with my babies.

Pregnancy: The 20 weeks flew by. I can't believe it's half-way done. I'm sporting a baby bump now and it's no longer questionable if I've had one too many burgers or not. Insomnia is kicking my butt and so are the bathroom breaks. I didn't miss these one bit. But tomorrow we find out the baby's gender. It's cliche, but all I care about is a healthy baby. Doesn't matter if the bean is a boy or a girl.

That day we became a family of 4

2012-02-20T16:18:00.002-05:00

I found out on December 11, 2011 that I was pregnant. It was a normal Sunday of errands and hanging out with K. I had plans to take her to the mall play area and grocery shop but decided on Target and grocery shopping instead.

I grabbed a 3 pack of test and went on about our usual Target trip. We did our grocery shopping afterwards then came home and did some dishes and then finally used the test. Back with K, the 2nd line showed up pretty darn fast. This time around, I left the test 'cause it wasn't doing anything and I was sure that it was a negative. Thank goodness I came back for a second look or I would have never found out that day that I was indeed already pregnant.

It was really hard not sharing the news with anyone. J was at work and I didn't want to tell him over the phone. I also didn't want to tell K 'cause she repeats everything and can remember a lot nowadays. I actually decided that I wouldn't share anything until Christmas. Yes, I waited 2 long weeks to tell J! That truly was an accomplishment. I am the last person that can keep a secret!

The next couple of weeks were tricky. I had to take prenatal secretly. I was turning down wine and coffee left and right. I was running out of excuses why I was so darn exhausted and hungry. I could have sworn symptoms were non-existent until that positive pregnancy test. But I have to say that I have been super lucky to not have experienced morning sickness just like when I was pregnant with K.

So here's what I know so far...I am a little over 14 weeks and baby #2 is due August 17. This will make baby #2 a Leo, same as J. I have gained 2 pounds which is really strange considering that I eat like a cow these days.

So yes, that's my recap of baby #2!

Sunday Night Confession

2012-02-19T19:07:00.002-05:00

More details to come later...

Is it really almost 2012?

2011-12-31T16:00:00.005-05:00

{source}

So long 2011! Here's to 2012 and the new memories it brings along. Y'all have a wonderful and memorable day ringing in the new year with friends and loved ones.

A year ago...

2011-11-23T17:36:00.003-05:00

We had our family pictures done on Monday and I can't help but look back of what our family was like a year ago. Below is a picture from our session last year. A lot has changed since then but one thing that remains the same is how thankful I am for having for having these two people in my life!

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all! I hope that the holiday season is spent with loved ones all around you.

Starlight Snowflakes Christmas Card

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Cartoons & Football

2011-11-11T08:41:00.002-05:00

Kayla loves cartoons. It's a great distraction when I'm getting ready in the morning and when I want to stay in bed a little longer. We also watch a lot of football on the weekends and I might have said "it's football Sunday" a number of times.

Here's how two convos went yesterday and today.

Scene: I'm getting ready. J's still in bed 'cause he's off. Kayla was in her room reading a book.
M: Kayla, come in here. Daddy's watching cartoons.
K: No, he's watching football Sunday.

Scene: K climbed in bed with us before we all got up to get ready for work. J turned on the tv and 3rd and Bird was on.
M: I don't like 3rd and Bird.
K: You don't like it, mommy?
M: No.
K: You like football Sunday?

Yup, we start them young with football. Ha!

Fall, where are you?

2011-09-09T11:06:00.004-04:00

I am ready for cooler temps, a warm pumpkin spice latte, sweaters, jeans & Ugg boots. There is just no way that I can sit there and sip on a warm cup of latte while my hair is out to here due to humidity! I know the fall is coming soon but I want it NOW!

Source: terragalleria.com via Karissa on Pinterest

Source: re-nest.com via Karissa on Pinterest

Source: southerntots.com via Karissa on Pinterest

First day of school anxiety

2011-09-05T23:26:00.002-04:00

My insomnia is at an all time high tonight. I'm off tomorrow due to a very long work-week so I'm not quite sure if my brain is playing tricks on me to stay up since it's a non-work night. I'm not even watching tv and I feel like I've played on the Internet enough.

Kayla's move to the next classroom tomorrow is giving me major anxiety and staying up longer is not helping me! I hate that I'm feeling this way. Somehow, I feel like I'm transferring my anxiety towards her and that's the last thing I want!

I know Kayla will do great! She always has. She can make friends with a quickness and has always adapted well. Yes, she's shy in the beginning but she breaks out of her shell later on. This will be her 3rd classroom move and two of her friends in her previous class will be with her. She will be with children who are a bit older than her. She will learn more and make new friends. I consider tomorrow her first day of school.

I know she'll be just fine but the mommy in me still worries. A lot. I know this feeling will never go away even if it's her first day in kindergarten, high school and even college. So tomorrow, be thinking about my girl (and me!), that we make it through the day just fine.

And yes, you better believe I'm scooping her up early right after nap time.

Sickies, boat & a breakfast date

2011-09-05T13:04:00.002-04:00

Kayla is not picky when it comes to food especially when it comes to anything sweet. When she turned down M&M's on Saturday after dinner, I knew something was up. She felt a little warm and had a low grade temp. She didn't eat well all day on Sunday but her fever finally broke this morning so I took her out for a bit.

We drove over to Dunkin' Donuts for and iced coffee, a donut for her and a breakfast sandwich for me. I knew she was starting to feel a little better since she couldn't stop eating the breakfast sandwich. We drove over downtown so she can go see the big boat and finish her breakfast.

We might run out again later. Carter's is having a huge sale and baby girl needs school clothes that don't break the bank.

1 year being in a new city anniversary!

2011-08-31T15:35:00.005-04:00

Yup, that's right! We have been here 1 full year. Today marks the year anniversary of when we made that one and a half hour trek down 64 East. We left everything behind - our family & what we have known our whole lives (for J at least. Not in my case. I was born and raised 'til I was 16 in a totally different country) to start something new and different.

A year later, I am still discovering new things and finding my way around town. I know where to go for my basic needs of grocery store, Starbucks, Target, shopping and restaurants. I am at a job that I love in a city that I am able to tolerate and hopefully love one day.

Do I miss Richmond? Absolutely!

Do I regret moving? Not one bit.
Will I do it again? More than likely, yes, but maybe to a different city.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-08-31T09:00:00.003-04:00

I was reading my Google Reader and saw that BB&B linked up with Roots and Rings. I am refusing to do work right now so I am linking up, too!

Bahahaha. I just realized that today is Wednesday and NOT Tuesday. Oops.

1. What is your favorite brand of shoes?
I can't live without my Rainbow flip flops or Uggs when it gets chilly out. I have branched out though and like Tory Burch Revas and TOMS.

2. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoes?
I have no clue.

3. How do you feel about freckles?
They're cute.

4. I can count to ten in ___ languages.
Four. English, Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese.

5. What is your favorite store-bought ice cream flavor?
Edy's Rocky Road!

6. Were you in ballet or gymnastics as a little girl?
Nope.

7. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
None of them. Elmo's laugh is really creepy to me and I don't watch the show enough to really have a favorite.

8. What’s your bedtime?
It varies but usually it's between 9p & 10 on the weekdays and around 11 on the weekends.

9. Do you have any jewelry that you wear every single day?
I wear my engagement ring, wedding ring, DY bracelet, earrings and necklace.

10. Who is the bug killer in your household?
Depends how fast and big the thing is. Usually me 'cause J is too wrapped up playing PS3. Ha!

'Twas the night before Irene

2011-08-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

(source: wavy.com)

I'm writing this post in the comfort of a plush king size bed beside a snoozing toddler and an exhausted husband. The past couple of days has been occupied with thoughts of Irene and the havoc she's supposed to bring with her. I don't know what news you are watching if you're unaware of Irene.

The area of town where we live is very prone to flooding. Five minutes of rain and you have to bust out your wellies. There was no question if we were leaving or not. It was a matter of when.

It's quiet outside. No rain and no wind. For now, we wait and see what happens and hope that we can come home at some point to a place with power, running water and no flooding.

My thoughts go out to everyone up and down the East coast. Stay safe and dry. I know I'll be spending a lot of time watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, coloring and snacking on Cheerios.

SMS @ the playground

2011-08-13T12:17:00.004-04:00

Our Saturday morning scene was spent at the playground. We took J with us this time. Kayla had fun using the big girl slide. But of course, the swing is still her favorite!

DSLR - A week later

2011-08-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

I haven't used my point and shoot since the day I got the big camera. The last time I touched it was this morning so I could take it out of the baby bag. Ha! I've been on a mission to learn how to use this thing. There are so many buttons and options and it's a bit overwhelming. But it's pointless to have this type of camera if you're going to stay on full auto mode. In my defense, I wasn't in full auto mode this whole time. I was on the mode where the flash was turned off. Pictures are much nicer to me when the flash is off and I was already doing this even with my P&S.

During my Google session last night in search for a pretty strap I stumbled upon Click It Up A Notch. I read posts all over her site and bookmarked this one. I really think that I'm slowly getting it a little bit. I even took the little one to the park today, armed with a little bit of knowledge, a camera & the happiest little model.

If you are still shooting in auto mode, run over to Courtney's site and read around. I'm sure you will learn a thing or two! Yes, I know, she is in sandals and white shorts. Parent fail today but she had a blast!