38 Week Check-Up

38 week check-up went great. I didn't gain any weight this last week, which is so strange to me because I have been eating like crazy! I have been told that means you are close to the end if you don't gain weight... we will see.

My doctors appointment went good. My doctor checked me and I'm still not dialated, but I have thinned out a little bit. It was kind of painful when he checked me. Last time that happened, I was close to delivery. He could feel Collyns head during the exam, so he is definitely head WAY down. I'm pretty crampy after the exam.

My doctor is going to be gone the whole next week so if I do deliver, I will have the midwife that works in his office. I've never met her, but my next appointment (If I make it until next week) will be with her. My doctor mentioned being induced. I said I want to go naturally, unless I am past my due date, then we can talk. He agreed.

We will see what happens for the days to come. Collyn is just very comfortable in my belly and doesn't want to show any sign of wanting to be out. :) Unlike his brother....

38 Weeks

38 weeks. 2 weeks (Or less) to go! :)

ABOUT BABY: Collyn is weighing around 7 pounds and about 20 inches in length (According to babycenter.com) All of his organs are working properly and he is ready to out of me.... He is now just gaining weight. His movements are getting slower and not as often, but still moving enough I'm not worried.

ABOUT ME: I am MISERABLE. I don't know how else to put it. Chasing a 1 year old around all day puts strain on your body when you are carrying a 7 pound baby inside of you. My appetite as increased dramatically. My mom thinks I will have him this week because I'm eating so much and storing up all that energy. We will see. I'm still napping with Alden during the day, which helps a lot. He likes to take a 1 1/2- 2 hour nap, so I get a good 2 hours of rest in the afternoon. My back is starting to kill me. I think that Collyn has pushed something out of alignment in my lower back/pelvis.

Bags are packed. :) Aldens bag is ready to go. The plan is that he will be staying with my brother-in-law when I go into labor. (It gave him a good excuse to not be at the hospital). :) If he is working or isn't able to watch him, my grandma volunteered to watch him. So, we have some backup plans. We'll see how that all works out. The car seat is getting installed in the car tonight. Just today, I realized I don't have a baby book for Collyn, so we are on a mission to find one before he comes. If anything we will buy one at the hospital.

Lyndon is back to work like normal. So, things have slowed down a little bit! My parents are back from their trip to Alabama, so they are ready for the baby to come anytime.

I have my 38 week check-up tomorrow, so we will see if there is ANY progression at all. I'm definitely ready for this baby to be out of me!

Update On Parker

My nephew Parker is close to 2 months old. He is still in the NICU at the Children's hospital in Boise.

Recently, he had surgery on his stomach. The doctors are hoping this will help get him home and help with the acid reflux problem that is causing most of his issues. He had surgery on Tuesday and things seemed to be looking up.

After his surgery he was given a breathing tube to breathe for him to help him heal and use less energy breathing. It looked like his recovery was going well until something horrible happened. My sister was holding him and his heart rate dropped twice and the doctors called a Code Blue. They got him back and stabilized after some time.

The issue was some mucus that plugged the breathing tube and caused everything to happen. They gave him some pain medication and got him comfortable again.

I got an update from my sister this morning and the breathing tube has been removed. We are moving in the right direction. It looks like Parker may be coming home around the same time I am due with Collyn.

Being so pregnant, I am not able to make the trip to Boise, which is a little over an hour away to be with my sister and Parker. Facebook and phone calls have been our communication.

Keep Parker in your prayers! :)

3rd Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my amazing hubby! I can't believe it has been 3 years! So much has changed in 3 years. We went from a 21 and 22 year old couple working and just enjoying life to a family of 4 with 2 little boys (One still baking).

3 years have flown by! I love my husband so much I couldn't imagine life without him!! :) We definitely have our ups and downs, but whose relationship doesn't??? LOVE YOU LYNDON!

37 Week Check-Up

Only 2 1/2 weeks until my due date.

I had my check-up this morning and I was hoping for some sort of progression with labor. Nothing has changed since last week. My cervix is softened a little, but no dialation yet.

My doctor informed me that he will be out of town August 2nd-8th, so the midwife that works in his office will deliver Collyn if I go into labor on one of those days. But, by that point, do you really care who has the catchers mit? :)

Collyn's heartbeat sounded good and he moved around for the doctor. Since this is my second baby, I could progress quickly one day, unlike last time where I progressed for weeks. I guess thats the miracle of pregnancy. It's so unpredictable.

I have my 38 week doctors appointment next Tuesday, so if I make it until then, we will see how everything is going. :)

Never A Dull Moment...

There is never a dull moment in this house. :)

Lyndon got home Friday afternoon, and within a couple hours we were all off to a wedding rehearsal that Lyndon was doing. Saturday, we spent some family time together, but then we were off to the wedding. It was ridiculously hot outside. Thank goodness the owners of the home the couple was getting married at let Alden and I spend lots of time in the air conditioning, since it was close to 100 degrees outside.

Alden loved the dancing and music at the wedding, but at the end of the reception he started to get cranky like he didn't feel good. We thought he was just hot and tired from the whole day.

The next morning, Lyndon got up and went to church without us. He didn't even wake us up. He said we didn't even move when he got out of bed. (Yes, our son STILL sleeps in our bed with us.... with another one on the way in a few weeks...) When I got up that morning, Lyndon was gone and Alden was acting funny. He had no energy and acted like he was sleepy and couldn't keep his head up.

I fed him breakfast and gave him some water. It didn't stay down long. He threw it all up within 30 minutes. He only got sick once, so I knew it wasn't the flu, but I wasn't sure what was happening. I called Lyndon at church and told him to hurry home after church because Alden wasn't feeling good.

Lyndon showed up. Alden was fine. He started playing and laughing and running around. It was the strangest thing.

This morning, Lyndon was getting ready for work and Alden looked like he was going to get sick again, and asking for Daddy. Lyndon stayed and cuddled him for half hour before he left and it seemed to help. I honestly think Alden is getting sick because he is afraid his daddy is going to be gone. In the last 3 weeks Lyndon has been gone 11 days. Poor Alden just wants his daddy home.

37 Weeks

FULL TERM! :)

It's always such a good feeling when you make it full term. I feel like I can take a deep breath and know that if Collyn came anytime now, he would most likely do okay.

ABOUT COLLYN: Collyn should be about 6 1/3 pounds and a little over 19 inches long. He has even LESS room than he did before so he isn't kicking at all really. He just adjusts a little here and there. He is still head down and he feels a little lower in my pelvis.

ABOUT ME: I'm feeling HUGE!!!! I'm having a hard time moving around, of course. On Friday night, I had contractions for 3 hours about 10-15 minutes apart and then they stopped, so we didn't go in. I haven't had any since. I'm still having Braxton Hicks contractions every once in a while during the day. Some are strong and some I barely notice. I'm only swelling in the evenings. I've been trying to keep tons of water in me which helps with the contractions and the swelling.

ABOUT LIFE: Lyndon is home! It was a long long week without him here. I think things will slow down the next few weeks so we are able to get things ready for Collyn. I've started packing the hospital bag. I'm packing a lot less this time than I did last time. Nesting is starting to set in. I'm getting more energy and having the urge to clean everything, which is difficult with a one year old in the house. :)

36 Week Check-Up

Well, things are progressing for little Collyn.

I had my 36 week check-up and I had the dreaded internal exam. UGH! I hate them! I wish we didn't have to do them. Your first pregnancy you want to know if anything is happening, dialation and effacement, but this time around.... I know I will eventually have a baby, so why do I need to know and go through the uncomfortable exam every week. Anyway- My cervix is softening and I am close to 1 centimeter dialated. So, things are happening. Last pregnancy, at 36 weeks, I was 1 1/2 cm dialated and 80% effaced, so I'm not as progressed as last time, but things are happening.

I was planning on making a trip to Cascade to be with Lyndon (He took Alden up there yesterday), but the doctor said it wouldn't be a good idea. So, Lyndon is currently on his way back home to drop Alden back off with me and heading back up to finish out the week at camp. My parents think I should stay with them until he gets home. We will see. :)

I gained more than I wanted to in the last couple weeks, but that is okay. I'm still lower than I was last pregnancy.

Since we didn't get a good picture of Collyn last ultrasound, the tech gave us a certificate for another one. We got some good pictures of him. He looks just like Alden. It's hilarious. I'm going to have little Lyndon Clones running around. :)

Here is Alden at 36 weeks.....

More updates later. :)

18 Months- ALDEN

Alden is 18 months old. I can't believe it. We are completely in toddler mode in this house!

Here are some updates on our little man.

GROWTH: I honestly have NO idea how much this kid weighs. He has his doctors appointment on Wednesday (Shots included... YUCK!). So, we will see how he is weighing and how tall he is when we go. I would say he is close to 30 pounds.

EATING: Drinking has been a struggle lately. He recently decided he didn't want to drink milk anymore. He just spits it out. I have tried it all. Regular, Soy, Almond, Vanilla flavored soy and almond... Nothing. So, I have now started giving him more cheese and yogurt and he drinks juice with Calcium in it. He drinks water and juice everyday. He seems to love everything he eats. The only thing that is hit and miss is meat. Depending on how it is cooked is if he will eat it or not. We do peanut butter and beans to help with the protein.

CLOTHING: 2T to 3T. DIAPERS: Size 5

DEVELOPMENT: Like I said, we are in full-blown toddler in the house. He is talking up a storm. He can say about 20 words clearly and is starting to put words together. He can do simple sentences like "Go Momma" or "Down Please". Sometimes it is really choppy and I am the only one that halfway understands it. He is running around like crazy, he can climb up anything, he can put on his own shoes (Crocs, they are simple), he can follow directions like, "Put up your shoes" or "Put your toys in the bin". He is a very good listener. I can take him anywhere and he will hold my hand and walk. Busy roads make me nervous, but not to think he will run out into it. He has friends that come over and play and they play together now, not just next to each other. He can throw a ball and stack a few blocks. He is completely sleeping through the night now and takes one nap a day between 1-2 hours long.

I can't believe he is growing so fast. What a joy he is!

36 Weeks

4 Weeks to go!

ABOUT COLLYN: Collyn is gaining about an ounce a day. Which makes sense on why I am so hungry ALL the time! According to Babycenter.com, he is weighing around 6 lbs and around 19 inches in length. He is still moving like normal and it feels like his head is still down.

ABOUT ME: I am doing pretty good. I am getting a lot more uncomfortable. My hips are really starting to ache because Collyn has dropped farther into my pelvis. I'm not sure how much weight I've gained since 34 weeks. I have my doctors appointment on Tuesday. I am starting to swell a lot more and not just at night. If I am on my feet for too long, I swell. Thank goodness Alden loves to cuddle because we sit in the recliner a lot lately. I am getting up about 2-3 times per night to go to the bathroom. My hips are aching at night so I have trouble sleeping. I have been eating quite a bit more frequently. I never seem to be full, which makes sense when he is gaining so much weight so quickly now. :) My Braxton Hicks contractions have gotten more frequent. They have a little pain and cramping to them now, but they are irregular, usually at night, and they vary in pain. So, I know it's not labor. Usually if I move positions or drink some water they go away. They are just annoying and a reminder that labor isn't too far away.

ABOUT LIFE: Things haven't slowed down around our house. We still don't have everything set up for the baby to come home. Let me rephrase that.... We have NOTHING set up for when the baby comes. The crib is still in pieces in the boys room, the bassinet is in pieces, I have put the clothes in the drawers, and I have bottles and everything since Alden isn't much older. My plan is to pack my hospital bag sometime in the next couple days.

Lyndon is busy, busy! He is currently in Cascade, ID (About 3 hours away). He left Friday and won't be home until this Friday. He is at summer camp for the youth group. I was planning on heading up to spend a few days with him from Wednesday to Friday, but we will see how I am progressing and if my doctor thinks I should be that far away from the hospital. I'm definitely exhausted with Alden and being so big, but we just count down the days until daddy is home.

I have been spending time at my parents house a lot while he has been gone, so I can get some help. Yesterday, my mom treated me to a pedicure, shopping (Even though I didn't do much shopping. I did more sitting on the bench by the front doors of the store and people watching), and lunch. I was able to get some new undershirts which is so nice (The one in the picture). I wear them all the time and mine were getting worn out. When I got my pedicure the woman refused to massage my feet because that kick-starts labor (Or one way it can). She said she had 2 women already have their waters break during or right after (while they were still in the salon). I told her no big deal, I'm not ready for this little one to make his entrance.

Only 28 days from today until my due date. I'm very ready to see this little guy, but I defintely can wait a few more weeks. :)

Homemade Baby Wipes

With having 2 kids in diapers soon, I am looking to find ways to save some money.

Baby wipes can add up. Yeah- At Wal-Mart you can get Parents Choice brand wipes for about $16 for 900 wipes and Costco sells theirs for around $19 (We only buy them if they have coupons), but it still adds up.

I recently ran across this recipe for Homemade Baby Wipes from the Duggar Family (19 Kids and Counting family on TLC)

I figure once we are done with our wipes stash, I am going to start this new recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Bounty Paper Towel Roll (Bounty was said to be the only brand that held up enough to be used.).... 2 Cups Water..... 1 TBL Rubbing Alcohol... 2 TBL Baby Oil..... 1 TBL Baby Bubble Bath (Optional, for scent and softness)

*Cut the paper towel roll in half. They recommend using an electric knife to cut it.... *Combine the rest of the ingredients.... *Place half a paper towel roll in a clean, dry 1 gallon ice cream bucket..... *Drissle liquid over paper towels..... *Cut an X Shape on the lid and secure..... *After 30 minutes, remove lid and remove cardboard tube..... *Feed the first wipe through the hole. Keep lid securely on tub so you don't dry out your wipes.

With having everything in our house besides Bounty Paper towels, I am looking at $9.00 for around 900 wipes. $10 less than what I normally pay. Plus, I can get good coupons for Bounty Paper Towels, so I am look for even less of a price. :)

*PRAYERS FOR PARKER*

Here is an update from my sister, Sarah.

Parker Update: Our world was flipped upside down today. Parker is going to need surgery. The doctors originally thought his breathing and eating problems were due to his epiglottis being too short. It is actually due to his reflux, his epiglottis is normal. His stomach acid is coming up and causing swelling in his trachea. So Parker needs a surgery on his stomach to stop the acid reflux. They will wrap the top part of his stomach around his esophagus to create a one way valve where food can go in but not out. Once the surgery is done, Parker will be fed through a tube in his abdominal wall and we will have to take any gas in his stomach out the same way. Once everything heals and Parker isn't getting fluid in his lungs anymore, they can take the tube out and he can start eating orally. This could take anywhere from a few months to longer. They will also see if he has a cleft in his trachea (basically his trachea didn't close all the way to make a tube) and will fix that if the cleft is there. He is tentatively scheduled for surgery on the 23rd.

-This poor little guy has been through so much the first 6 weeks of his life. He has been poked and prodded his whole life. Please pray for this little guy.-

35 Weeks

5 weeks to go... And they couldn't come any faster.

ABOUT COLLYN: Collyn is 18 inches long and around 5 1/4 pounds (According to Babycenter.com). His kidneys are fully developed and his liver can process waste products. Yay for more poopy diapers! :) He isn't wiggling as much anymore like he used to. He is still moving around, but not the way he used to kick. He has moved down lower into my pelvis. He is still head down and kicking my ribs.

ABOUT ME: I haven't weighed myself this week. I will be weighed again at my doctors appointment next week. I am getting a lot bigger and it is harder for me to do normal things around the house. I'm having difficulty picking things up off the floor and taking care of Alden. He has learned to walk up stairs by himself and put on his own shoes (Which are Crocs, so they are easy to put on). My feet and hands are beginning to swell, which my doctor said is completely normal being pregnant in the summer. My back has been killing me. I've been drinking tons of water and iced tea to keep myself hydrated. I am very ready to be done with pregnancy this time. I haven't been able to rest like I did last pregnancy.

ABOUT LIFE: Things have NOT slowed down for us at the end of this pregnancy. Lyndon has been working like crazy, so I haven't seen him much. He went on a business trip last Thursday-Saturday, so I was home alone with Alden. He will be gone again next week from Friday-Friday for summer camps for church. This makes me really nervous being home with a 1 year old for that long. My parents offered for me to stay at their house during that time. I might stay there, but we will see. Lyndon is trying to get me room up at camp so we can be up there together. However, it makes me nervous that I would be 3 hours away from my doctor and hospital. I'm nervous either way. I've been getting all the dance stuff I need to get done before September when dance starts, so I don't have to do much when the baby comes. The weather is HORRID right now. It is between 100-105 degrees everyday, and we are having record setting highs. We haven't been outside much because of this.

We still haven't completely set up the nursery, since we moved. The bassinet is in our room, but the stand is still in the garage. I'm hoping to get everything together this week before Lyndon leaves. We will see.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had a wonderful day off to celebrate our Independence!

We decided July 4th would be a good time to have a BBQ at our new home. We just had family come, to say thank you for helping us with the house and supporting us through this pregnancy.

We set up the pool for the kids to play in, in the backyard. Alden loved helping Momma and Daddy fill it up. We had my little brother, Johnny, come and swim and my neices, Hannah and Hayden stopped by with their parents and they jumped in for a while.

We had a BBQ with hamburgers and hotdogs, salads, Grandma Kays homemade mac and cheese, fresh veggies, and my mom brought Banana Splits for dessert! It was lots of fun. It was warm out, but there was enough shade in our backyard that it was comfortable. Even for a pregnant girl! :)

After dinner, we went to the front yard and ate banana splits and Lyndon and Johnny lit off the fireworks they bought while we waited for the local fireworks to go at 10:30 PM.

Of course, Alden is afraid of really loud noises, so Lyndon bought him ear plugs. He wore them most of the time and was able to enjoy the fireworks! :) Our town sets off fireworks every year. We usually drive up to the golf course and sit to watch the fireworks. This year, we were able to sit in our front yard and watch! It was so nice. We got a great view and didn't have to deal with a whole crowd of people and lots of traffic! We were able to enjoy dessert and watch fireworks.

I hope everyone had a wondeful day! :) (This is the type of picture you get with a one year old boy....)

34 Weeks

Only 6 weeks to go! :)

I had my 34 week check-up this afternoon and ultrasound. Collyn is looking great. He is weighing 5 lbs 1 oz, from their calculations. Everything with me is looking good. My cervix is still nice and thick so those Braxton Hicks contractions haven't been doing anything productive. THANK GOODNESS! :) I've been worried that they would be doing something, but I am still looking good. Collyn is head-down and engaged, ready to deliver.

Everything seems to be looking good. I have had more hip pain this pregnancy, but my doctor said it is completely normal for a 2nd pregnancy. I've just been told to drink lots of water and take it easy for the next few weeks... Which is a joke when you have a one year old in the house.

We weren't able to get a good shot of his face, so we were given a gift certificate for another ultrasound to see if we can get a better one of his face. :) We saw that he has lots of hair (unlike Alden) and he is definitely still a boy. He sat on the camera. If we get a better picture, I will post the ultrasound.

I have another appointment in 2 weeks. :) The countdown begins.

Riding In The Fire Truck

Last night, Lyndon got a call from my dad asking if he would drive one of their fire trucks from one station to another. (My dad is the Assistant Fire Chief and Lyndon is the Chaplain for the Weiser Rural Fire Dept.) Alden got to ride with Lyndon up to the other fire station, about 10 miles out of town. Alden LOVED it! He thinks he is a firefighter. He wears his fire helmet around the house and has tons of fire truck toys and his bedroom is fire trucks. He had so much fun.

Gathering Eggs

Last night we went out to Lyndon's grandparents house for a BBQ. They live on a cute farm with chickens, cows, horses, a donkey, and dogs and cats. Alden LOVES going out there and seeing the animals.

For dinner we had hamburgers, potato salad, veggies, deviled eggs, and corn on the cob. So, the leftover corn on the cob Alden was able to feed to the horse and donkey.

Then, we went and saw the chickens. We needed to gather eggs from the coop, so Alden and Lyndon went in with Grandma Kay and gathered a total of 15 for the day. Alden was so proud of himself. :)

It was a great night. :)