Almost Irish Twins

Our First Months Home

2011-09-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here is our first month and a half in pictures

July 28th Sweet Pea Arrived!

2011-09-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

I had Sweet Pea on July 28th at 1:11 PM. He is a handsome baby boy! He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 inches long. And it was an eventful day! Labor was a bit stressful. After drawing my blood they found that my hemoglobin was very low and put me at risk, there was debate over a blood transfusion but they decided to just order the blood and have it on hand if needed. Then our little guy was having issues of his own, the cord was wrapped around his neck causing his heart rate to drop really low so I had to go on oxygen. Luckily after changing positions and oxygen his heart rate increased enough to avoid a c-section. This made me very happy considering I had a one year old at home and J only had 10 days off.

After he was born we found out that the anatomy scan missed the fact that his cord only had two vessels instead of three an abnormality that only happens to about 1% of the population. This was a little worrisome because it could be an indicator of more serious problems and if they had known they would have induced a few weeks before my due date because SUA increases risk of stillborn. They wanted to keep a watch to make sure his kidneys were functioning properly.

We spent some time bonding with him and choosing a name and then we called to have Peanut come and meet her little brother. It was important to us that Peanut be the first one to welcome our little Sweet Pea into the world. After we arranged for her to come we finally started making phone calls to announce his arrival. I will never forget the first time Peanut saw him it was such a sweet moment.

After we had a few visitors Peanut and Daddy J went home. I spent some quiet time resting and cuddling with my son. He started having trouble keeping down his food. We switched to formula so they could keep better track of his input and output but he had trouble with milk based. We switched over to Good Start Soy but he couldn't tolerate that either so then we switched to Isomil. Another problem we encountered was that he wasn't making bowel movements. We ended up having to stay another day so they could monitor him, after an x-ray and seeing a specialist they decided if he didn't start having regular bms we would transfer to another hospital so he could be admitted into the NICU for more testing. Luckily we didn't have to transfer.

He liked to keep us on our toes, the next problem we encountered was he failed all of his hearing screens. So we had to wait two weeks for a hearing test. This had us pretty worried for the first couple of weeks but he passed with no problems at his test.

Peanut did pretty well with the big change. She loved all of the time she got to spend with J, it didn't seem to really sink in for her until he went back to work. The first day at home alone with the kids was great, I felt like Wonder Woman. I cleaned, did laundry, the dishes and both kids were happy.

Peanut Pulled Up!

2011-02-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

My little baby is growing up! Earlier today she was crawling around and saw the remote up on the couch and the next thing I know she pulled herself onto her knees with the help of the couch. I was telling James that it probably won't be long before she manages to pull herself to a stand. Little did I know that today would be the day!

I was hanging out on the floor with her catching up on Gray's Anatomy (the baby had me in tears) and the next thing I know she was after the remote again.

15 Weeks!

2011-02-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

How far along? 15 Weeks!

How Big is Baby? 4 in, 2.5 oz about the size of a Naval Orange

Baby's Development - Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements

Weight Gain - + 5 lbs from the starting weight

Strech Marks? Almost gone! But I am almost as big as I was at the end of Peanut's pregnancy so I have a feeling that I will never wear a bikini again.

Sleep? Not so much

Best moment this week? Taxes done

Movement? Not yet but I can't wait!

Food Cravings? Chili again

Gender? So far we are staying strong! Team green all the way!

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time

Belly Button in or out? It's an innie but not for long! It is already disappearing.

What I miss? Not having to pee every 2 minutes.

What am I looking forward to? My appointment on the 10th!

Weekly Wisdom? There is no such thing as too much ice cream

Milestones? No more normal pants.

Is Peanut still nursing? Yes but I am supplementing because it is getting hard to keep up.

Some Random Thoughts

2011-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of attachment parenting. Ever since I heard about it when I was pregnant I knew that is how we were going to raise Peanut. It just seemed natural. I love that Peanut has made her on schedule and that we get to enjoy so much time together. I feel like we have really been able to bond.

One of the struggles I have had is finding balance in our life sometimes. As amazing as it is to spend so much time with our daughter, it is also important for us to spend time together as a couple. Our most recent solution to this is date nights at home. Peanut goes to bed around 6:30 so we have the rest of the evening to spend together. We can eat, play games, watch a movie, or just catch up and talk. I have missed having time with James and since we have started this things have been so great.

I also love the closeness we get to share when I wear her in the wrap or mei-tai. It is fun to have her cuddled up to me as we experience the world together. I love that I am able to do tasks such as housework or cooking and not miss out on time with Peanut. I am so glad that attachement parenting introduced me to babywearing.

14 weeks!

2011-01-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

How far along? 14 Weeks!

How Big is Baby? 3.4 in, 1.5 oz about the size of a Lemon

Baby's Development - Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

Weight Gain - I am up 3 lbs from prepregnancy!

Strech Marks? They are finally fading, but I think they will be making a comeback in the near future.

Sleep? All the time!

Best moment this week? Our family picnic at the park.

Movement? Not yet but I can't wait!

Food Cravings? Anything sweet.

Gender? With peanut the doctor offered at my 14 week appointment, my next appointment is on the 10th... But I will be turning down the oppertunity to know if I have another ultrasound. So far we are staying strong!

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time

Belly Button in or out? It's an innie but not for long! It is already getting pretty shallow.

What I miss? Not having to pee every 5 minutes.

What am I looking forward to? My appointment on the 10th!

Weekly Wisdom? I don't really have any wisdom to share from this past week.

Milestones? A stranger asked if I was expecting!

Is Peanut still nursing? Yes but I am thinking about supplementing because it is getting hard to keep up.

My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump

2011-01-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday! Time for another bump pic. I am up 1/4 of an inch putting me at 36 1/4 this week. My early bump has some of the people who know me asking if I am expecting twins, and I am happy to say that I am not. Only one sac, one baby and one heartbeat. (Nothing against twins, they are awesome!) So here is the weekly bump pic! I am 13 weeks and 5 days pregnant!

Sweet Pea at 13 weeks and 5 days

Peanut at 20 weeks

Fun at the Park!

2011-01-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Peanut and I went to the park today. The weather was perfect, it was warm in the sun but there was a nice cool breeze. I still can't believe she is big enough to ride in the big girl (baby) swing! She loves it!

Your Three Words

2011-01-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

Peanut is mobile!

Peanut has been trying to do the army crawl for about a month. She finally gave up on that and tried scooting and today she crawled... backwards? I guess you have to start somewhere. I have to work on moving some stuff around. I wasn't planning on having to babyproof so soon. I am very excited although I am a little sad. My peanut is not such a peanut anymore. She is growing up so fast, a lot faster than I would have imagined.

13 Weeks! Hello 2nd Trimester!!!!!

2011-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

How far along? 13 Weeks!

How Big is Baby? 2.9 in, .81 oz about the size of a Peach

Baby's Development - Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient

Weight Gain - +1 lb! Yay!!!

Strech Marks? They are almost gone, and I am almost as big as I was at 32 weeks so I have a feeling they will be making a comeback in a few weeks after I do some more growing!

Sleep? All I want to do is sleep.

Best moment this week? Hanging out with James. Peanut, and James' best friend. It was nice to see James relax and have fun.

Movement? Not yet but I can't wait! I have read I might feel it earlier this time because I know what it feels like.

Food Cravings? Chili and V8 Juice and Edys Grand Chocolate Ice Cream with Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Syrup.

Gender? Too early to tell... But we are still going to wait until we meet Sweet Pea.

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time!

Belly Button in or out? It's an innie, but it's getting more and more shallow.
What I miss? A nice glass of wine with dinner.

What am I looking forward to? For our W-2s to come so we can move to our apartment!

Weekly Wisdom? Never eat the last of anything with a pregnant woman in the house.

Milestones? Good Bye 1st Trimester! We are 1/3 of the way there!!!!

Is Peanut still nursing? Yes with no signs of a supply drop!

Old Wives Tales - Finding out Sweet Pea's Sex

2011-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Since we are waiting until we meet Sweet Pea to find out if it's a boy or a girl, I plan on having fun with all of the fun old wives tales. It will be interesting to see what the results are, and how accurate they are. There is a 50/50 chance! I am also debating on doing the highly made fun of Intelligender test, since it will just be for fun. (I am still trying to decide if it is really worth the money for a moment of "fun")

The Heartbeat -

One belief that has been around for some time, and even had some acceptance in the medical community at one point, is that the fetal heartbeat differs for boys and girls. If you're having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140. A boy will have a heart rate below 140. However, science has proven this to be wrong. A baby's heart rate is not affected by its sex until it is born, when a girl's heart rate will increase considerably compared with boys during labor. But since we are just having fun.... Both Sweet Pea and Peanut's first heartbeats were 160, so according to this.... It's a Girl!

Do I Carry High or Low?

The way you are carrying during your pregnancy is one of the most often cited ways of determining the sex of baby. I have actually had people argue with me when I was pregnant with Peanut over this one. I was carrying low and everyone and their brother told me I was having a boy and when I corrected them they told me I must be mistaken! The general story goes that, if you're carrying low, you're having a boy. If you are carrying high, then you must be having a girl. Science says "NO!" to this: the way you carry is determined by muscle and uterine tone as well as the position of your baby. But who's to say that boys don't like being lower in their mom's stomach while girls prefer a view from the top? We are just having fun here.... It's a ?

*I can't decide if I am high or low, please feel free to take a look at my bump pics and I will update accordingly.

Sweet Cravings -

Many people believe that your cravings are caused by the sex of your baby. So, if you can't get enough chocolate, you could be having a girl. Does the idea of drinking straight lemon juice sound delicious to you? Then those sour cravings are a result of the little boy inside of you. However, if you go by the scientists, then some of them will claim that you're not even having cravings because cravings just don't exist. With Peanut the thought of anything remotely sweet completely repulsed me. With Sweet Pea I can't get enough Cookies, Chocolate, and Ice Cream.... It's A Girl!

Morning Sickness -

Another belief is that if you are having a lot of morning sickness you are carrying a girl. If you are feeling well and not having a lot of that dreaded sickness than it's a boy. I had a little so... It's a Boy!

The Needle Trick -

another unusual using a needle and a thread. Take a needle and tie it to a thread. Hold it over your belly while you are lying down. If the needle swings in a circular motion, then you are having a girl. If it moves back and forth, then are you having a boy. I tried this and it moved back and forth so... It's a boy!

The Chinese Gender Chart -

This one is kind of interesting. It calculates the gender based off of your age and month of conception. Here is a link to the chart I used. I am 22 and my estimated conception was at the end of October so.... It's a girl!

So I have two girl results, two boy results, and one that I will update after I figure out how I am carrying. Of course we will finally know once July comes and we finally meet our Sweet Pea.

My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump

2011-01-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's time for another bump picture! I am a day late but it's not like a day will make a difference. This week I am measuring at 36 inches around, only a half an inch up from last week. I was looking through Peanut's pregnancy journal and I am shocked to say that at 32 weeks I was only 42 inches around. (I was bad about keeping track of things so that was one of the few times I measured with Peanut) Everyone says that you usually show earlier with your second, I didn't start taking weekly pictures until I was further along with Peanut, but I'll start at the beginning to compare. So here we go! I am 12 weeks and 6 days Pregnant!

Sweet Pea at 12 weeks 6 Days!

Peanut at 19 Weeks!

I am surprised at the difference!

Who Are You?

2011-01-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

My blog is still pretty new, but I am suprised that I have gotten hits from far away places such as Australia! It's kind of exciting, but I have to wonder, who is on the other side? You read about the happenings of my life and I am curious about yours. Do you blog? I love to read blogs in my downtime, as a housewife it makes me feel a little less alone in what can sometimes be an isolated world.

Please feel free to comment and post a link to your blog! I look forward to learning more about my readers!

Tons of Planning

2011-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I spent a lot of my time planning. There is so much to plan for this year! Here are some of the events we are looking forward to:

Moving! I am especially excited about moving, even though it means moving from a house to an apartment. I have decided to look on the bright side and enjoy the perks of apartment living. Some of these include no lawn care, less space to keep clean (I have been finding this more and more difficult as I become more tired and more pregnant), lower rent (more money for baby shopping!), and of course being walking distance to a playground! I love taking Peanut to the park! I am also excited to get away from our current neighborhood and house. I found our house in a rush so it wasn't all that we wanted. I am also looking forward to a fresh start to decorate!

Peanut's First Birthday! I can't wait until her Birthday! It is a day for her to enjoy and for me to reflect on the day that I became a Mommy. It is a day I remember in detail and will never forget. I can't wait to celebrate! I have decided that although she is only 6 months old I am going to go ahead and plan everything out in advance for her party. I will be due one week after her birthday and with the way things progressed there is a likely chance that we are expecting Irish Twins! I figure the less work for me to do that far along the better. I already have a theme and invites picked out. We will be doing Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. I am going to get a copy to use as our guestbook so Peanut has a keepsake from her first birthday. I plan on doing a green ham "smash cake" and green egg cupcakes. I want to use the Orange and Green colors for decorations. For our invites I am going to make them myself and make green eggs and on the back it will say "Would you, could you in a house? Would you, could you with a Mouse? You're invited to Peanut's 1st Birthday Party! A Green Eggs and Ham party we will do, hope to see you half past two!"

The Arrival of Sweet Pea! I am very excited for Sweet Pea's arrival. I am trying to figure out what all we will need. So far another crib, a double stroller, another carseat, possibly boy clothes, and I am sure there is a lot I am not thinking about. Since the kids will be sharing a room I am trying to decide how I will decorate Sweet Pea's half. Peanut's half will have the Sweet Lulliby Bunnies. I am trying to think of something that will work for a boy or a girl. :)

Your Three Words

2011-01-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

More about "Your Three Words"

Life is good!

Your Three Words is about summing up your week in three words. For more info click on the link above mine.

This past week has been a good one! Peanut said "Mama" for the first time and we finally know that Sweet Pea is doing well. We were a little worried because at the first ultrasound they were unable to detect a heartbeat. They thought my dates might have been off, but I am still measuring for July 28th and he or she is kicking and flipping around in there.

12 Weeks! The final week of first trimester!!!

2011-01-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

We just got back from my ob appointment! I am happy to say that we have a happy healthy baby! We were finally able to see a heartbeat it was averaging at about 160 beats per minute. It was amazing to see Sweet Pea doing little flips and sucking his or her little thumb. Peanut's early ultrasounds all looked like blobs, but Sweet Pea actually looked like a baby. I wasn't expecting that so it was pretty amazing. Peanut was there with us and fussed a little during. James said it's jealousy, I think that it was nap time. But she seemed pretty interested in the ultrasound screen when we brought her closer. It is hard to believe that my little baby is going to be a big sister!

How far along? 12 Weeks

How Big is Baby? 2.1 in, .49 oz about the size of a Plum

Baby's Development - As I move into second trimester,baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Weight Gain - -1 lb, all the extra eating has been paying off!

Strech Marks? They are finally fading, but I think they will be making a comeback in the near future.

Sleep? What sleep? Peanut has hit a growth spurt and has been eating every hour and a half.

Best moment this week? Peanut eating watermelon and finally finding out that Sweet Pea has a heartbeat and is a viable pregnancy!

Movement? Not yet but I can't wait! I have read I might feel it earlier this time because I know what it feels like.

Food Cravings? Chili and V8 Juice. I almost had a breakdown when I was almost out of V8 and James forgot to pick up another bottle on the way home. I just can't seem to get enough of it.

Gender? Too early to tell... but the decision is to stay on the green team :)

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time

Belly Button in or out? It's an innie
What I miss? Sleep

What am I looking forward to? James' best friend coming down for a visit.

Weekly Wisdom? I don't really have any wisdom to share from this past week.

Milestones? Good Bye 1st Trimester! We are 1/3 of the way there!!!!
Is Peanut still nursing? Yes with no signs of a supply drop!

Just for fun! Name Polls!

2011-01-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

James and I have a pretty good idea on the names that we have picked out for Sweet Pea. But just for fun I made a poll of boy and girl names that came up in conversation. Feel free to vote! Again this is just for fun.
:-)

Girl Names Poll
Boy Names Poll

My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump

2011-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's time for the weekly bump pictures! Not much of a difference this week. I decided to start measuring so that I can keep track. This week I am 35.5 inches around. I am 11 Weeks and 5 Days Pregnant!

From The Front

From The Side

Today Was A Very Special Day!

2011-01-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

My little peanut has managed to melt my heart all over again. She said "Mama" for the very first time today! She started fussing because she was ready to eat and take a nap. As she started to cry she started going "Mamamamama" until I picked her up. It was amazing, but of course I was trying to be practical and thought that maybe it was just a weird coincidence. But later on in the day when we were playing and i got up to get a drink she started up again. "Mamama" and again when she was fussing for a nap. I am a little disappointed that so far the only time I get to hear it is when she is upset. But I guess you have to start somewhere. And on the bright side she knows who will make things right when Daddy is away. :) Now I have to work on getting her to say "Dada!" Because every Daddy's Girl needs to know how to call for him. :)

Peanut's Adventures in BLW - Watermelon

2011-01-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

My Little Peanut Enjoying Watermelon

We gave Peanut watermelon for the first time last night! She loves it!!!!! I love BLW but sometimes the mom in me still feels the need to break up foods into tiny bites and feed her. After I see that she can handle little bites of it I usually get the courage to just let her go for it. It still amazes me to watch my little baby feed herself. To watch her experience a new taste or texture for the first time is so exciting. An added bonus to the watermelon is after she managed to get down to the rind it was hard and cool enough to act as a nice natural teether for her. She cried when I finally did take it away. I am looking forward to more advenutres in BLW!

11 Weeks!

2011-01-06T04:32:00.000-08:00

How far along? 11 Weeks

How Big is Baby? 1.6 in, .25 oz about the size of a lime

Baby's Development - Baby's head and body are at about a 1:1 ratio, and skin is so transparent that blood vessels show right through. Fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming

Weight Gain - -3 lbs below pre-pregnancy weight.. I've got some regaining to do!

Strech Marks? Still present from Peanut

Sleep? very nice, other than the bathroom breaks and water runs.

Best moment this week? When Peanut ate steamed broccoli

Movement? nope

Food Cravings? Anything sweet. Oh and Philly Cheese Steaks.

Gender? Too early to tell... but the decision is to stay on the green team :)

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time

Belly Button in or out? It's an innie
What I miss? Soft Cheese

What am I looking forward to? My next ultrasound on the 13th, hopefully we will have good news!

Weekly Wisdom? If a baby has a blowout in footie pjs it will run down the leg and into the foot pocket :(
Milestones? Not really

Is Peanut still nursing? Yes with no signs of a supply drop, however if I don't start gaining weight it may not be an option anymore :(

My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump

2011-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Time for the bump pictures! I am sad that I didn't have any pics of before I was pregnant to show what a difference there already is. I had lost all of my baby fat along with an additional 10 pounds. I'll be posting weekly to watch my belly grow. Today I am 10 weeks and 5 Days Pregnant!

From the Front:

From the Side

Pregnancy Weight Loss

2011-01-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

My first pregnancy I struggled with weight gain due to severe morning sickness. I was often loosing weight instead of gaining. It was very difficult for me because everyone under the sun had a comment about it. I wasn't dieting, I was eating everything I could keep down and yet I still lost weight. Luckily this did not effect Peanut because she came out at a wonderful 7 lbs 15 oz!

I am starting to have the same issue during this pregnancy. I have a feeling that breastfeeding does play a large role in this problem. I have been eating as much as I can and I am still loosing weight. I am not against formula but I would like to continue to breastfeed Peanut if it is possible. So I am going to make some changes to my diet for higher calorie and healthy fat foods. Wish me luck!

Peanut Loves Pancakes

2011-01-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

For those who don't already know, Peanut and I have been having adventures in BLW. Baby Led Weaning skips the traditional purees and starts table food right away. It is great to have her involved in our meals and it is nice to be able to allow her to do solids at her own pace. She chooses how much she wants to eat and gets to experiment with different tastes and textures that she would not normally be exposed to at this age. So far we have done bread, sweet potatos, baked apples, carrots, peas, cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon and pancakes.

Most people might wonder what inspired the pancakes. But we were out to breakfast and plain pancakes were the only thing that we had that would have worked and she is not happy if she is left out of meal time. It was amazing to watch as she grabbed a huge chunk of pancake and took bites out of it. I was so proud of her, she didn't even gag. Tomorrow we are going to try some whole wheat pasta and veggies so she can pick and choose.

10 weeks down 30 to go!

2010-12-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

How far along? 10 weeks and 1 day!

How Big is Baby? 1.2 inches long and about .14 oz about the size of a prune

Baby's Development - Bones and cartalige are starting to form and vital organs are begining to work, body length will almost double in the next three weeks and arm joints are now working.

Weight Gain - 2 lbs.

Strech Marks? Still present from Peanut

Sleep? very nice!

Best moment this week? Sponge Docks with James and Peanut

Movement? nope

Food Cravings? White Castle - I tried talking James into driving me up to TN so I could have some fresh ones.

Gender? Too early to tell... but this one will be a suprise!

Labor Signs? Nope and it better stay that way for a long time

Belly Button in or out? In, but I am starting to get a bump already, pictures up soon

What I miss? Wine because it is New Years Eve

What am I looking forward to? My next ultrasound on the 13th

Weekly Wisdom? Eat more Chocolate
Milestones? My bump is starting to show

Is Peanut still nursing? Yes with no signs of a supply drop in sight