Dr. Appointment @ 17w 5d Pregnant

I had another Dr. appointment this afternoon to make sure that everything was still doing good with my cervix.  And some good news.....everything looked great! So now we are anxiously waiting for our next appointment and ultrasound on October 18th so we can finally officially say whether we are having a boy or a girl.  Today the baby's heart beat was between 158-160 bpm.  And since my appointment wasn't until 1:30 and I had to take the entire afternoon off from work, my mom treated me to lunch at the Uptown before my appointment.  Since I didn't have an ultrasound, I don't have any pictures to post, but I promise to have some posted after the next appointment. 

My Baby Boy Is Turning 2!!!!!

I must admit that I am accepting and dealing with Jack's 2nd birthday a lot easier than I accepted his 1st Birthday.  Last year I remember feeling like I could cry at any moment on his birthday just thinking about how fast he was growing up.  But today I am still in shock that he is already 2, but I am filled with happiness on the happy little boy that he has become so far.  I am excited to see what the upcoming year has in store for him and I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey he has taken us on so far.  (The pregnancy hormones hormones might have something to do with this blissful feeling, but either way, I will take it. ) So as I am sipping my Pumpkin Spiced Latte on this beautiful fall morning I am thinking of how thankful I am for the happiness and love that Jack has brought into our lives.  I am also thinking that I better get my butt in gear because we have a Mickey Mouse Birthday party to get ready for.  I will add some more birthday posts later this weekend, but for now I have to get ready for this party. 

Mariachi's....YUMMMYYYYY!!!!

Jack was having a slumber party at his Grandma Marieda's house with his cousins Logan and Brady on Saturday night, so Nick and I were all for a little grown up family get together with my Nana, Parents and my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Angie.  Nick and I had never been to Mariachi's in Naplate and everyone kept talking about how good it was.  So that's where we were headed.  Since I would not be able to indulge in any margaritas or Corona's I figured I would be the DD for all of the others.  So we piled into my Grandma's minivan and we were off to Naplate.  The food was absolutely delicious, almost as good as the company that we had.  My Aunt Angie's birthday was on September 11th, so of course we had to order her some fried ice cream so we could all share and celebrate.  I won't mention her age, but I will say that she definitely isn't 50 yet, right Angie??? And of course since all of the party animals had a DD, we couldn't just go home after dinner. So we stopped in Utica for a few.  And I was extremely shocked to hear that my parents stayed out until around 1:00 am because they were partying it up in Jeff's man cave.  Of course everyone turns into party animals when I can't even have 1 drink!!!

Jeff, Nana, My Parents and the Birthday Girl Angie

 

 

 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Angie!!!!

Kids Day & The Park

Our Saturday morning started our with Jack taking every single puzzle and his blocks out of the cabinet and continually scatter them and play with them all over the living room floor.  This little boys really hit the ground running this morning.  But we had some fun plans to meet up with our cousins for a fun little morning.  

Jack & I met up with Lesley and her girls and Angie and Miles at the Kids Day festivities at the Janko Center on Saturday morning.  I found out about the festivities through a flyer that was handed out to the kids at school.  A petting zoo, clowns, face painting, games, a jumpy house and of course popcorn. There were quite a few big kids in the jumpy house so we thought we would wait until Lesley and the girls got there to try that out.  In the meanwhile, Jack became very interested and entertained by his blue balloon that some nice lady gave him and his bag of popcorn.  So there was no way that I was able to take the balloon away from him when it was time to go in the bouncy house, so Jack played with the balloon while Finley went in the bouncy house.  

Kind of difficult to get all of the kids to look at the camera

Miles & Grandma Gigi

Jack was more interested in his new balloon than anything else

Finley enjoying the bouncy house

After we had enjoyed all of the festivities at the Kids Day, we headed to the park to let the kids run around while Lesley and I got a chance to catch up.  I didn't get a chance to take any pictures at the park because all of us were enjoying ourselves and playing on the slides that we were too busy to even take any pictures. 

And It's A........

So today when I was at the Dr. for my monthly ultrasound, I asked the tech if she could tell what it was yet.  She didn't know if she would be able to but she said she would try.  With Jack I found out around 16 weeks, but this time I still had mixed feelings of whether or not I was ready to know the sex of the baby.  But before I knew it, she was point everything out to me, but reminded me that nothing is 100% until the 20 week ultrasound.  So just in case anything were to change, we are holding out on telling until the 20 week check up. But I am not totally convinced that I will be able to hold out until then, so we will see.  But no worries to some of my friends and co-workers that have been wondering, we are not going to even attempt to keep it a secret this time around, that was way too hard the last time.  But I must say that we definitely have a little mover and shaker on our hands.  The tech was having a hard time getting some of the measurements and heart beat because the little peanut just wouldn't hold still.  I guess I only have myself to blame because of my little daily dose of caffeine.  

So now the battle over the names will begin.  I am truly convinced that Jack might have been the only name on the face of this planet that Nick and I could both agree on.  And we can't have both of our kids named Jack, so something will have to give.  And no, if it is a girl Jill is definitely not at the top of our list. And I also had a good check up, so that was definitely a relief. 

At 15 Weeks Pregnant.....

I can't help but compare this pregnancy to when I was pregnant with Jack.  And here are some comparisons that I have come up with........

• I'm VERY grateful that the acne has not haunted me at all like it did when I was pregnant with Jack.  With Jack I started breaking out before I even knew I was pregnant and I swear it instantly cleared up right after he was born, like the same day.
• I think I was more nauseous this time than I was with Jack.  But luckily with both of my pregnancies, I never did throw up.  But there were definitely times that I thought that throwing up would make me feel better.  
• My cravings are a little different this time around.  With Jack I couldn't even look, smell or think about eggs without getting sick to my stomach.  This time I can't get enough eggs.  It started off with craving eggs over easy every morning, now that craving has switched to scrambled eggs.  With Jack I craved lemonade and fruit punch, this time around it is root beer and unsweetened iced tea.  I also have been craving soup, so almost every day for lunch I eat tomato soup or some other healthy choice microwaveable soup that I have purchased for the week.  And how could I forget about my craving for a Slim Turkey from Jimmy John's.  I must admit that my idea of "cooking" at least one night a week is driving through Jimmy John's on my way home from work and picking one up a sandwich for Nick and I.  But I felt pretty good about that craving after I looked up the nutritional facts, it's not that bad of a choice as far as calories and fat go.  
• My biggest disappointment is how I cannot stand coffee this time around.  With Jack I would have 1 cup a day.  With this one I cannot even stomach a hot cup of coffee.  But at least I can stomach an iced coffee, literally the only thing you have to do is dumb the coffee over ice cubs and stir in a little milk and I am good to go.  So that one is a little weird.   
• Just like with Jack, I still have my situations that put me at high risk.  But that's ok because I think I have learned from when I was pregnant with Jack and doing precautionary things to keep me from getting put on bedrest.  So I am keeping my fingers crossed and continuing to think positively.  

I can't wait to find out what we are having.  We found out with Jack, but we only let the grandmas in on the secret.  This time around I would like to wait and be surprised, but Nick said that he wants to find out so I guess that's what we will be doing.  I will keep everyone posted on any new symptoms or cravings that might come about in the upcoming months.  

10 Years Later......

Every year on September 11th, I find myself glued to the television watching every single ounce of documentaries/interviews or TV programs that have to do with that sad day.  And this year is no different.  I can't help but think back to where I was 10 years when I heard of the terrible news and how at such a young age of 18 I knew that what was going on was a huge deal, but I don't think I truly grasped for how many years we as Americans would be dealing with the repercussions of these tragic events and how many other factors of events would sprout from these attacks.  

10 years later I think back to how I was in my first semester at IVCC and how I was waitressing at the golf course and The Pizza Box.  I was pretty sure that I was going to be either a nurse or a dental hygientist.  Becoming a teacher wasn't even on my radar at this time.  And now here I am 10 years later in my seventh year as a teacher, married to a man that was actually building the home that we live in now while I was living my days at IVCC. Weird to think that Nick was 25 and I was 18 at that time, now I don't even notice the age difference.  I am also lucky enough to be raising a healthy and happy 2 year old delightful little boy while being pregnant with our next little delight.  I think about all of the lessons I have learned in the past 10 years and I wish I could go back to the Jaime of 2001 and tell her to relax and enjoy life because everything would work out in the end.  I think of the memories I have made with my family and friends and how some of my greatest friends are people that I didn't even really see or talk to in 2001.  I also think and pray for those who lost their lives, family member or friends on that tragic day. 

Days like today give all of us a chance to sit back and reflect and remember what types of thing are important to us and reminds us of just how precious and delicate our lives can be. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Labor Day Weekend

We had a pretty low key Labor Day weekend.  And since this post is a week late, you can tell that I have been a little bit lazy this past week, so that means I am catching up on a lot of things this weekend.  

Our weekend started with our usual Friday night routine of ordering a pizza and watching a movie or just watching some TV while we watch Jack play with some random toys and objects around the house that he is finding amusing at the time. 

On Saturday mornings, Nick treats Jack with a ride to Spring Valley Baker to pick out a donut or two for him to enjoy, and don't worry Nick also engages in a donut or two.  For me, I just stuck to my usual eggs and toast.  Then it was off to the grocery store to get the weekly groceries and a few items that I needed to make a few dishes to go to the cookout that we were invited to on Sunday night.  I made a pan of scotcheroos and a strawberry cake that I found a really easy recipe for.  The scotcheroos turned out really well, but the cake was kind of a disappointment, but I would still take both of them to the party because someone would eat them, and I really didn't want them laying around our house.  Saturday night we decided to we needed to get out of the house.  So we decided to take Jack to dinner at Valley Bar.  Of course we would be taking the iPad with us because it makes dinner in a public place with Jack way more enjoyable. He is an absolute angel when we have the iPad to entertain him. Definitely the best money that we ever spent.  

On Sunday morning Jack was up bright and early at 5:30!!! So needless to say I had plenty of time to shower and get ready to meet my Nana for breakfast at 10:00 at the golf course.  After breakfast it was off to our weekly stop at Marshall's to see what new bargains were put out since the previous Sunday.  Usually every Sunday my grandma, my mom and I meet there for a weekly shopping sessions. In order to find all the good deals and cute clothes you have to become a frequent Marshall's shopper, there is a whole strategy behind it. My mom is obsessed with that place. I found a cute sweater tunic to wear with leggings and some cupcake pans that are formed into the shapes of trucks and trains.  Now I am not a baker, so we will see if these pans ever get used.  

After nap time, it was off to Adam and Heather's house for their cookout.  They have recently poured a nice stamped concrete patio and they are adding on a deck to their house so we relaxed in the back yard and watched the kids play while the guys watched the meat cooking in the smoker.  Now keep in mind that it did rain the day before, so Jack just so happened to find  almost every mud puddle that was in the backyard.  He was literally, for a lack of better words, like a pig in shit.  He pretty much loved the mud.  At one point I had to help him get his feet out of the mud and I seriously thought that I was going to take a tumble with him.....it was rather interesting and entertaining and he was having a blast, so I was fine with it.  By the end of the night when it was time to go home, one of Jack's shoes were covered in mud and the other shoe was sitting in mud and he had mud/dirt all over his pants.  But at least he had fun.  So it was definitely to the bath tub he went once we got home. 

Most of Monday was spent going to Home Depot to pick up some things that we needed for random jobs that needed to be done around the house and we did a little bit of yard work.  Jack loved being outside.  Everytime the wind would blow in his face he would look the same way that a dog does when they stick their head out of the car window.  When it was time to go inside I had to persuade him to come in with some of his favorite goodies because it was pretty apparent that he would have spent the entire day outside.  

We had a great long weekend spending some time with friends and family.  And I could really get used to this cooler fall like weather, it was absolutely beautiful. 

What Our Days Look Like Now That I Am Back to Work

We seemed to have slipped right back into our usual school routine rather smoothly this year.  Now just because it was a smooth transition does not mean that we don't miss our laid back days of summer, but we will manage.  My alarm goes off around 5:00 am, but I usually hit the snooze button a time or two.  Once I decide to get out of bed (usually around 5:20 am) my feet definitely hit the ground running.  Into the shower I go to start the mad dash of a day that lies ahead.  Since my new and unusual craving for baby #2 is root beer, I treat myself to a quick drink after I get out of the shower.  Then it is on to doing my hair and makeup.  

I am dressed and ready to go by 6:20 am, and by 6:30am I starting to make some noise to help Jack wake up in a slow and comfortable manner.  He is usually a morning person, but just like anyone else, he's not a fan of being abruptly woken up.  Most times he is all smiles while he change his diaper and take him out of his pajamas and into his threads for his fun filled day at Linda's.  Then it is out to the living room where Jack will randomly play with the light switches and turn the ceiling fan on and off a couple of times before he is ready for his breakfast.  Jack's breakfast of choice is powdered sugar donuts or waffles.  Since Mickey Mouse Clubhouse doesn't come on until 7:00, I will turn on an episode that I have on the DVR so he can have his daily dose of Mickey Mouse before he steps out the door.  Once he is settled and eating his breakfast, I am off to the kitchen to prepare my other daily craving for baby #2, eggs and toast.  I could not even look at eggs or think about eggs with Jack, but for some reason for the past 2 months I cannot get enough eggs.  Lately I have wanted them scrambled with a tiny bit of shredded cheese in them.  YUMMY! After breakfast it all cleaned up I also take in a little bit of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with my little guy.  Then depending on whether or not I want to get to school early or not, we are out the door anywhere between 7:15-7:25. 

I usually pull up to Linda's house at 7:45, after a quick chat with her  I am headed back to my car and while I am walking I can usually hear Jack ask Linda, "Is she coming back?" That is his new favorite line to say. It is pretty cute. 

I am back in my car and ready to finish my morning route to work.  By 7:50 or so I am in my classroom and ready to dig into some planning, grading, paper work or replying to any emails or phone calls that may have popped up.  And you can also throw in a number of casual conversations that might take place with any one of my friendly co-workers.  And the possible questions/complaints that may have to do with any one of my students, but that's ok bc it comes with the job.  

I see my first students at 8:40, and it is pretty much nonstop until the end of bus duty around 3:20 or so.  By 3:35 I am out the door and into my car to head on my way back to Linda's to encounter a smiley faced little boy that is ever so happy to see his mommy.  Seeing how excited he is when he sees me walking up the sidewalk just melts my heart, it makes going to work and picking him up after work much more rewarding.  


After work we are off to run any random errands or stops that need to be done.  On Wednesdays we head to my grandma's to have dinner with her.  I think she enjoys the entertainment and randoms words and songs that come out of Jack's mouth.  We try to stop there 1-2 nights after work.  If it isn't a Wednesday, we are headed home to try and figure out what we should do for dinner.  Thank goodness Nick doesn't expect and want huge homemade meals, because lately I just haven't been wanting to cook a lot.  When dinner is done, it is probably time for some laundry, pick up the house a little, water my flowers, pay some bills and sometimes we don't do any of these, but instead we just kick back and watch a little TV.  


At 7:30pm it is time for Jack to get a bath.  After bathtime, the three of us lay in our bed together and watch TV.  Usually Jack is running around, jumping on the bed, followed by stopping all of the madness moves that he has to embrace either Nick or I in a hug and then randomly starting to count and say his numbers or singing one of the many songs that he has to hear on the children's music CD that is constantly playing in my car on our many travels.  By 8:15, Jack is in his crib and hopefully close to falling asleep.  And I can honestly say that I am not very far behind him.  After he is in bed, I pack my bag and lunch for work the next day and wash my face.  Then I usually make the nightly phone call to my mom (I seriously think that we talk on the phone 3-5 times a day) and then it is off to night night land for me.  And then we start the whole routine over again the next day.  


After typing all of this out, I have come to the conclusion that I really miss our laid back summer days.  

Niabo Zoo

Before summer ended and I had to go back to work, Lesley and I thought that the kiddos needed a little trip to the zoo.  It was pretty much a last minute decision one day.  The weather was sunny and beautiful, but a little too cool for swimming, so we thought it would be the perfect day for the zoo.  So we packed up the kids (and our cousin Claire and our Nana) and off to the zoo we went.  We chose Niabi Zoo because it seemed to be the perfect size for our kids and it would be a quick ride in the car.  The first stop at the zoo was the petting area.  Jack really wasn't a fan of having the animals lick the food out of his hand (he must be a germa-phobe like his mother), but Finley loved the animals. 

Then we were off to ride the ponies.  Since Jack was a bit crabby today due to teething and the diaper rash that was accompanying the teething, I didn't even bother getting him a ticket to ride the ponies.  I could just imagine him throwing a seven while I try to hold him and make him stay on the pony. So maybe next time we will give the ponies a try. But Finley and Claire enjoyed their pony rides, and Jack and Layton just took it all in from their strollers. 

It was then time to see some more animals.  Claire was sort of "attacked" by the birds when she was in the bird area and feeding the birds.  I guess all of them wanted to sit on her, fly very closely by her head or get fed by her all at the same time.  I actually missed this encounter because I was getting Jack a snack at the time, so sadly to say I don't have any pictures of the encounter.  But I don't think she will be too eager to go into a bird cage any time soon. 

This picture pretty much describes what we were dealing with during the later part of the day :-(

I think everyone would agree that the best part of the day was the ride on the choo choo train.  This was Jack's favorite part of the day, he loved the train ride so much that he was screaming and crying when it was time to get off.  I'm sure we more than made a scene for many of the onlookers.  Yes I was that mother with the screaming, crying kid by the time we were leaving the zoo.  Now my kid usually does not act like this, so I am putting full blame on the teeth, the diaper rash, and going without a nap the entire day.  Thank goodness Claire was there to entertain him during the car ride home.  So despite a teething crabby Jack, a temper tantrum at not wanting to get off the choo choo, we will definitely be going back to the zoo.