HOW FAR ALONG: 37 weeks, 4 days! SIZE OF BABY: The size of a small watermelon. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO: Baby prepping! Her room, laundry, and car seat are all ready to go for when she gets here. The hospital bag has been packed and is waiting in my car. I have been slightly redoing our house (made the down stairs a play room/hang out area for Sawyer and Bryan when Sully and I need some girl time). We bought new furniture for our living room upstairs so I've been working on redoing that area since we hang out in there 90% of our time at home. Bryan put together all her baby items (swing, rock and play, etc.) I forgot how much space those baby items take up in the beginning. All we have left to do is deep clean our house and decorate for Christmas.... EXERCISE: I have been trying to walk a mile every day while at work to help prep for labor and hopefully help speed things along for dilation. BODY CHANGES: Sully has officially dropped and her head is engaged per the doctor. Sully is now measuring right where she needs to be, whereas before she was measuring small. SLEEP: By the end of the day I have no energy. I fall asleep within seconds of getting in bed. Besides going to the restroom and some crazy dreams, I am getting more sleep than I did when I was pregnant with Sawyer surprisingly. BEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK: This past weekend Bryan was out of town for a wedding and I had my parents watch Sawyer so I could relax and try to get some things accomplished. I had originally hoped to join Bryan out of town but I have been having braxton hicks like crazy and didn't want to risk baby girl coming early and being a couple hours away from the hospital. It was amazing having some time to myself and enjoying the peace and quite. I don't think I have had alone time since before Sawyer. The alone time was much needed but I sure did miss the boys. WORST MOMENT: A couple of weekends ago we went to Crossville to see Bryan's parents and grandpa. While we were there I began to have more braxton hicks than usual and felt a lot of pressure (I now think it was her dropping). The weather was really bad and we actually tried to leave really late at night because I was convinced she might make an early arrival. Once we got on the road the storm was so bad we ended up turning around and going back to his parents house and thankfully Sully stayed put. FOOD CRAVINGS: Cracker Barrel, Hardees hot ham and cheese and strawberry milk shakes. SYMPTOMS: Back and hip pain have crept in, my milk is starting to come in, and lots of the "lightening pressure" is happening. My hands and feet are swelling a tad but nothing major. Shortness of breath all the time, even during a conversation. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY: Baby girl is gaining about an ounce a day and can now inhale, exhale, suck her thumb, grip her hands and fingers, and open and close her eyes. NEXT APPOINTMENT: 38 weeks. At my appointment last week my doctor convinced me to let her check my cervix since we have her induction date scheduled, if she doesn't come on her own before then. They want to make sure my body is favorable before we go ahead with induction. I always hated the dilation checks with Sawyer (I thought it was worse than labor, ha!) but this time it wasn't as bad as a I once remembered. I was shocked to find out I was zero centimeters and only 50% effaced but I was actually pretty happy with those results because I wasn't ready for her to make her appearance just yet. After all she isn't considered full term until 39 weeks. The goal is to walk a lot and hope I dilate on my own. I will probably turn down the next check at the 38 week appointment and wait until my 39 week appointment to see where things are at. TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: I've gained 36 pounds since pre pregnancy. MATERNITY CLOTHES? Flowy dresses with leggings or maternity leggings and an oversized t-shirt are my go-tos. DIET: No diet... MISS ANYTHING? I try not pick up Sawyer a lot because its hard on my back and adds a lot of pressure to the belly and babe. I hate not being able to pick him up or give him a bath when he wants me. I still try to squeeze in the extra cuddles when I can but I do miss carrying him around when we wants to be held. ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Normally nothing but the other night we were at our regular Monday night pizza spot and a table close by had ordered a pizza with anchovies on it and the smell about made me sick instantly. GENDER: Girl! HAPPY OR MOODY? Happy but probably more moody and stressed. I am worrying about labor and delivery, the safety of baby girl, how Sawyer is going to adjust, missing out on time with Sawyer and making sure to give Sullivan all the attention she will need. My mind is racing 24/7 with things that I need to do or order before she arrives. This is our last week or two as just a family of 3 and I feel like we need to embrace it as much as we can. I told Bryan today I'd like to have just a family night this Friday to make dinner together, have a movie night, and play in the recently renovated play room area down stairs before we get to cleaning and decorating over the weekend. If everyone could please say some prayers for us all as we head into the last little bit of pregnancy and get ready for labor and delivery. I would truly appreciate it. Bryan and I pray every night for Sullivan's health and safety and adjusting to life once she comes. I know it'll be chaotic at first but I am so thankful God has given us this opportunity again. We are excited to meet our baby girl. You can read all about my 36 week pregnancy update with Sawyer here. I love looking at the differences between my two pregnancies. That is what I enjoy most about this little space is going back and reading things from my past and seeing how far things have come in our lives. We are truly blessed and owe God all the glory! Happy Halloween 2019 from Christopher Robin, Tigger, and Pooh!
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Sullivan's nursery is almost officially complete. With still a couple minor things left to do, but I wanted to go ahead and share her sweet nursery before I ran out of time. Sully is due in about 4 weeks (although I don't know that she will make it until then). This past weekend was one of the first weekends in a couple months that we didn't have anything planned. It was so nice to be able to get things done and stay at home, although there wasn't much relaxing going on. I was doing lots of baby prepping while Bryan was doing lots of cleaning and organizing. Besides hanging a couple of precious items we received from my baby sprinkle, the nursery is ready to go. We went all out for Sawyer's nursery a couple years ago, you can read about his nursery here. I really enjoyed working on his nursery but it was very time consuming and lots went into it. With Sullivan I knew I wouldn't have the time and effort I had when working on Sawyer's so keeping it simple and neutral was key. Since we transitioned Sawyer into a big boy bed this summer, I knew I wanted to use his old nursery furniture to save money. I am not a "pink" person so the next girly color I was willing to do was a light purple. I still wanted to make sure it had girly accents so my first step was figuring out her bedding. I came across the "soft wildflower" crib sheet design on Carousel Designs and knew instantly that was the look I wanted to go for in her room. After personalizing her crib sheets and changing table cover, I began to pick out the rest of the colors/decor for her room. The paint we chose was a very light lilac color, called Rising Star from Valspar. I was so happy with how the color turned out on her walls, it's very bright and matches her sheets perfectly. I knew I wanted to incorporate some sort of wild flowers in her name or monogram on the walls. I started looking on Etsy and all my options were going to cost me $350 and up. My husband's momma is super crafty and offered to make the wild flower letters herself. We went to Michael's and picked out the flowers and wooden letters and within a few hours she made the prettiest personalized piece for baby girl's wall. With some of the extra flowers that were left over she put together a beautiful separate wreath that we hung over the crib. I actually prefer my mother in laws design over the ones I found on Etsy and now they have a special meaning behind them. I was on the hunt for a rug and other decor pieces for awhile. I was obsessed with the rug I found for her room which I saw online, even though I know it is probably not the most practical (I foresee stains on it as soon as shes mobile). I went ahead and purchased it anyways. It is probably one of my favorite pieces in her room and ties so well with the colors and wildflower theme. The name of the rug was "Nightscape Fading Floral Fringe" on RugsUSA and with the low price tag, I knew it was worth the risk for now.. The rest of her decor pieces (fringe pillow, wicker basket, dresser accessories, and both wall signs) came from either Hobby Lobby or TJ Maxx, my favorite go-to stores when decorating and needing pieces for our home. We also incorporated her middle name, Grace, into a couple pieces in her room that I adore. Overall, I could not be more happy with the simplicity and chicness of Sullivan's room. I hope she enjoys spending as much time in her room as I have lately. We can't wait for you to be here baby girl.
HOW FAR ALONG: 32 weeks 4 days SIZE OF BABY: Baby girl is about the size of a pineapple. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO: We recently celebrated baby girl with a Brunch Sprinkle at our home with some of my closest friends and family. We had the best time and it made me feel so thankful to have those closest to me celebrate and be just as excited this go around as they were with my first pregnancy and celebrating Sawyer. We also completed the nursery last week and I can't wait to share that! EXERCISE: My occasional walks have turned into rare occasions...I did set a goal to try to walk 3-4 miles a week. It may not seem like a lot but it sure feels like it at this point in my pregnancy. BODY CHANGES: Baby is really starting to pop out. I've had multiple people this week at work tell me how I look double the size I did even last week. I don't mind this big ole belly! The tension headaches arrived a couple weeks ago and occur almost daily. I had those with Sawyer during my third trimester too. Other than being completely exhausted by the end of the day, multiple potty breaks, and needing a full body massage by the end of the week..I feel great. SLEEP: I can be wide awake one minute and completely passed out the next. Bryan has cracked a few jokes about my sleeping habits lately. In the middle of saying our prayers out loud I sometimes doze off. BEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Seeing baby girl at our 32 week ultrasound. She was being shy and would hardly show her face, so we didn't get the best pictures but shes head down and appears to be loving the fetal position as she constantly has her legs tucked up and her bum in the air. At her anatomy scan she was measuring in the 47th percentile but this visit she was measuring in the 31st percentile. Doctor said everything looks great she will probably just be more petite. Compared to Sawyer, she will certainly be way smaller, which I don't mind too much for labor purposes haha. WORST MOMENT: I was a little bit concerned about her size when I first found out she was measuring much smaller compared to Sawyer, but the doctor assured us everything looks normal and unless she falls below the 10 percentile it's truly nothing to worry about. She is kicking like crazy and that always helps to ease my mind. She already doesn't take much from her brother. If Sawyer pushes up against my belly, she immediately pushes back. I think she'll be able to handle him once she makes her appearance. FOOD CRAVINGS: Cereal! Especially Fruity Pebbles. SYMPTOMS: Starting to go to the bathroom 3 sometimes 4 times throughout the night and I am constantly hot (the 90 degree weather in October doesn't help with that). Shortness of breath and some occasional braxton hicks contractions as well. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY: Baby's heart rate is beginning to decrease (as it should getting closer to her due date.) She's been staying in the 140 somethings but had a heart rate of 136 during her scan a few days ago. The ultrasound tech said she weighs between 3.5 and 4 pounds. She constantly has the hiccups and we were cracking up watching her have the hiccups during the ultrasound. NEXT APPOINTMENT: 34 weeks. I am now going to see the doctor every two weeks. TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: 27 pounds. MATERNITY CLOTHES? Still flowy dresses. Still 90 degrees out. Ready for cooler weather any time now. Fall where are you?? DIET: Anything sweet. MISS ANYTHING? Having more energy. ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Nope! GENDER: Still a girl. HAPPY OR MOODY? Happy, moody, and completely exhausted. LOOKING FORWARD TO: Fall weather, celebrating Halloween (we are doing another family costume this year) and meeting baby girl NEXT MONTH! HOW FAR ALONG: 27 weeks and 4 days..Crazy that Sunday will mark 28 weeks and I'll be entering into my third trimester. I feel like this pregnancy has flown by.
SIZE OF BABY: Baby is the size of a head of lettuce. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO: I am bummed I haven't been on here to update this pregnancy in a few weeks. We have been crazy busy since the last time I was on here. We found out the gender, we've been on vacation, I started a new job, and we've almost completed the nursery. Lots has been happening for our little fam. EXERCISE: Occasional walks throughout the week. BODY CHANGES: I think I am pretty much all belly. Everyone says this time around I am not as big as I was with Sawyer. I would have to agree with them but I also remember Sawyer sat very low the entire time in a big ball where she seems more spread out all around my tummy. Since getting out of the first trimester I have felt great. I haven't had half the symptoms I did when looking back at Sawyers pregnancy updates. After going back and reading them I remembered how bad my hips hurt and the tension headaches. I haven't had any of that yet. My back tends to hurt but I don't blame the baby on that, I think that's just from carrying Sawyer around all the time. At the beach I forgot to put sunscreen on my face and the pregnancy melasma showed up within a couple hours. I remember getting it with Sawyer on my face as well and it never went away until after he made his arrival. SLEEP: When I can sleep, I sleep! Sawyer is wilder than ever and still getting up and coming in our room throughout the night. Once he makes it into our bed the sleep is limited because he has to sleep right on top of me. If he's not on top of me he's kicking me and digging his knees into my back. I take advantage of sleep whenever I can at this point. BEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK: I would say accomplishing so much over the last few weeks. We had a great anatomy scan a few weeks back and found out we are having a sweet baby GIRL! She's head down and everything looked great. She's measuring in the 47th percentile (I am guessing she's going to be smaller than her brother as he was in the 97th percentile at his anatomy scan). I accepted a new position at work and have been getting acclimated to my new title. We transitioned Sawyer into a big boy bedroom with all new furniture, he even has his own queen size bed now. We've almost completely finished the nursery. I have a couple decor pieces left to get but am excited to see the end results. WORST MOMENT: No bad moments with this pregnancy so far and I sure hope it stays that way. I have my glucose test tomorrow and Bryan is convinced I am going to fail it because of how addicted I am to sweets this pregnancy. Say a prayer for good results. FOOD CRAVINGS: I constantly crave Cracker Barrel. I would eat there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could. Besides that, I have to have something sweet every day. I have been making my own milkshakes in the evening with Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I have a bit of a problem... SYMPTOMS: Besides going to the bathroom all the time and a growing belly and chest, all is well. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY: Baby girl is crazy active in my belly. It feels like she's constantly doing flips in there and I love every moment of it. Baby can now smile, open her eyes and close them, and recognize light. Her heart rate has been around 141 and she can recognize familiar voices. She still has a way to grow and develop but chances of survival outside of the womb are pretty high at this point. This always makes me feel more comfortable during pregnancy but hopefully she won't come before the 39 week mark. NEXT APPOINTMENT: My 28 week appointment tomorrow! Then at 32 weeks I get to have another ultrasound! TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: Not sure on this..I'll be interested to find out tomorrow and compare it to how much I gained with Sawyer at this point since everyone thinks I look much smaller this pregnancy. MATERNITY CLOTHES? I wear nothing but flowy dresses (that aren't even maternity). I am taking advantage of the dress wearing as long as it's warm outside. DIET: What diet? I've got to work on this... MISS ANYTHING? Nope! ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Nothing. GENDER: GIRL! Bryan said he knew all along it was a girl but I was definitely thinking boy. Funny he has been right and I've been wrong both times. It took me more time to get used to the fact that we were going to be adding a girl to our gang than it did him. I slightly panicked only because I have no clue what to expect with a baby girl since I am so used to being a boy mom. Now that the initial shock is over, I am getting excited for life with a girl. Also girls clothing is much cuter than boys I have to admit. HAPPY OR MOODY? Happy, although Bryan might beg to differ. He claims I've been much more moody this pregnancy. I think my patience is lower and chasing around a toddler 24/7 might have something to do with that. I am nervous and excited to see Sawyer's reaction to being a big brother. He will point to my belly if you ask him where baby sister is and gently touch my belly on occasions and smile. I sure do love those sweet moments. LOOKING FORWARD TO: Fall and baby girls sprinkle. Something about the Summer heat when I'm pregnant has me extra excited for fall weather (and of course pumpkin everything). We aren't going to do a baby shower this go around since I plan to use anything I can of Sawyer's to pass down but we are going to have a little sprinkle with just my close friends and family members and I can't wait to celebrate sweet baby girl. Old wives tales for Baby 2 say....We find out in just a few short days what baby #2 will be and we can not wait!! Bryan is still sticking with girl for his guess and I'm still sticking with boy for mine. It's funny because Bryan and I both thought the opposite when I was pregnant with Sawyer. Everyone besides like two people think this time we are having a girl, but I think that's only because I've already had a boy. We are so thrilled to see the growing little baby via ultrasound and have been praying for a healthy and great anatomy scan (yall say a prayer too please!). I have been feeling this little one kick and move like crazy so he or she better cooperate and show themselves because mommy and daddy can not wait to find out! We are having our pictures taken a couple days after our scan and I thought it would be a great idea for Bryan, Sawyer, and I not to know the gender until during the pictures and have the reveal be captured on camera, but I haven't been able to talk Bryan into that just yet. He's impatient and frankly so am I. We knew before the first trimester ended with Sawyer the gender so holding off and not finding out this go around until the 20 week mark has been difficult. I also think it'll be special for us to find out together during the scan instead of receiving the gender news through phone call like the first time. Either way, as soon as we find out we have lots of work to do in order to get the nursery and everything (started) complete. I will say I really don't believe in much of these old wives tale predictions but Sawyer's chart appeared a little bit different..I'll post his below. Old wives tales when I was pregnant with Sawyer..Like everyone says, each pregnancy is different so who knows?! We will find out for sure soon enough! What do yall think?!
HOW FAR ALONG: Currently 17 weeks 2 days, I'm a few days late posting since we went out of town last week but the pictures and my appointment all took place last week (16 weeks along).
SIZE OF BABY: A Pear, around 5.2 inches and weight around 5 ounces. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO: Bryan and I took our first (mini) vacation alone since Sawyer's been born. We went to our favorite place, Charleston, South Carolina for a little beach getaway. I was a nervous wreck leaving our little man but he had the best time with his grandparents. Pretty sure he wasn't ready to come home. Bryan and I enjoyed some adult time with friends, relaxing, and soaking in too much sun on "our" spot, on Sullivan's Island. We knew it was time for us to get away for a bit especially before this second baby arrives. EXERCISE: Moderate walking here and there... BODY CHANGES: Everyone is starting to notice my small bump and it makes me excited. I am always ready for the baby bump to make a big appearance when pregnant. SLEEP: Sleeping is easier than ever. I am always tired. Bryan makes fun of me for being able to sleep at any given moment. BEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time at the doctors office last week. I hadn't been able to hear it in the prior appointments which caused for an extra ultrasound but the heartbeat was loud and clear over the Doppler this go around. The heart rate was 141. ALSO!! I officially can feel baby movements. I think I might have felt the baby a couple times earlier in pregnancy but on Fathers Day I felt the baby kicking and squirming and there was no doubt about it. It's the best, most reassuring feeling when feeling your baby move inside of you. Bryan still hasn't caught the movements yet but it shouldn't take long for him to be able to feel. I didn't feel Sawyer's movements until 19 almost 20 weeks. WORST MOMENT: None, thank goodness! FOOD CRAVINGS: Sour gummy worms. Funny thing- I hadn't noticed/remembered until today after reading my 16 week post with Sawyer that I craved gummy worms with him during this time frame as well. This is why I love tracking my pregnancies, its so neat to be able to look back on things from before and relive them. I would have never remembered some of this stuff otherwise. Definitely recommend tracking your pregnancy in some form or another, you won't be pregnant for long and each pregnancy is certainly different. SYMPTOMS: Lots of bathroom breaks, strong cravings, tiredness. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY: Per pregnancy bump updates, "This week, your little one starts to develop a layer of brown fat under the skin, and will add more layers as your pregnancy progresses. This added fat provides energy and will help keep your baby warm after birth — right now, your uterus is doing a nice job of that! The oil-producing glands in your baby's skin may begin to produce vernix, which is a white, greasy film that protects and covers the skin and helps regulate body temperature. At this point, your baby is becoming a little more active within the amniotic sac. By the end of this month, nails will likely extend to the tips of the toes and fingers, and they may even need to be trimmed shortly after birth!" NEXT APPOINTMENT: 20 weeks for our anatomy ultrasound!! TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: I had gained 5 pounds since my 12 week appointment. I hadn't gained but maybe 1 pound during my first trimester but I blame the all day nausea and throwing up some for that. Now that the nausea has subsided I am eating constantly and always hungry. MATERNITY CLOTHES? I haven't had to wear any specific maternity items yet, I am sticking to the rubber band trick on my pants/shorts for now. DIET: My diet has been horrible this go around, I am always eating junk and craving sweets..ugh I need to reevaluate my eating habits. MISS ANYTHING? Nope! ANYTHING MAKE YOU QUEASY OR SICK? Not currently. GENDER: I am starting to really think this baby is a boy. I was leaning towards girl in the first few weeks since I was sick and hadn't had those symptoms with Sawyer. Towards the end of my first trimester I was stuck in the middle but now my vote is all boy. Bryan still stands with girl. HAPPY OR MOODY? Happy, nervous, guilty... So happy to be pregnant, feeling this baby move, and hearing the heartbeat. A little nervous for what all needs to get done before this baby and how Sawyer is going to react to being a big brother. He's going through an aggressive stage right now and likes to push and hit... I feel a little bit guilty because we haven't done anything to prepare for this baby yet since we still don't know the gender. This time frame with Sawyer we had already started on his nursery,had his name picked out, and gotten him a few special items.None of which we have now. I am def a big planner and like to have things done well in advance. I am hoping once we find out the gender (in 3 weeks) we can shift into full gear. If it's a boy I don't have much at all to worry about since we have pretty much everything we need. If it's a girl that's a totally different ballgame for us and we are going to need tons of new things and figure out how to decorate a nursery fit for a precious baby girl. Say some prayers for us as our next appointment is a big one! To read about my 16 week update with Sawyer, you can click here. We are so thankful God is blessing our family with a second little baby. I am happy to officially be out of the first trimester and finally feeling better. This pregnancy has been completely different than my first. I felt wonderful with Sawyer the entire pregnancy. I barely had any symptoms and then this pregnancy hit me with the total opposite. I will not complain though as I know how precious this journey is.
My doctor asked me at my six week postpartum appointment if we thought we wanted more kids. At the time, I immediately said yes that I wanted three or four more if God would allow it. She told me it would be best to start trying within the year Sawyer was born so my body would remember pregnancy and it would likely allow for us to conceive without me having to go back on fertility medications. I am so thankful she was right, as trying for our second was much easier and no ultrasounds, blood work, or meds (besides Metformin, which helps with ovulation) were needed. I did however buy the amazon ovulation strips after a couple months just to monitor if I was ovulating on my own or not. I highly recommend them as everyone's cycles are different. I never get on this little blog anymore (which is sad to me, but time..) however I want to make a conscious effort to track this pregnancy and compare it to my first and have something to look back on. I think it's incredible the differences already between the two. I know they say every pregnancy is different and shew is that ever true. Anyways, on to tracking my first trimester update.. HOW FAR ALONG: 14 weeks 3 days WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? This is actually a funny story.. I decided the night before taking a test that I was going to take one the next day because that next day happened to be the same day we conceived Sawyer. I thought to myself and told Bryan "how neat would it be to find out I was pregnant with a second baby on the same day we conceived our first baby?!" Bryan assured me that it was likely way to early to test as that two week wait period wasn't up and no signs of pregnancy had appeared. I didn't listen to him, the next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn and took a test. Only one line appeared after 5 minutes and I woke Bryan up with the negative news. He told me not to worry and it would happen in Gods timing and to go back to sleep. I woke up a couple hours later and went to the bathroom (where I forgot to throw the test away) and happened to look down to toss it when I saw the faintest second line. I started screaming for Bryan and yelled "I'M PREGNANT". He didn't believe me and ran straight to the store to get a digital test. The test immediately read positive. It was a God moment, not a coincident moment. SIZE OF BABY: A lemon HOW WAS YOUR FIRST TRIMESTER? At six weeks nausea hit me out of nowhere. I was not anticipating it at all since I never felt sick with Sawyer. I tried the nausea bands, eating every couple of hours, nothing really seemed to help. Luckily it only lasted a few weeks before subsiding. Hallelujah. I have been way more tired, I guess that's due to chasing a little one around now.I am asleep by 8:30 or 9:00 most nights. Bryan made a comment to me one morning about not getting up throughout the night when Sawyer yells for us. I assured him I never hear a peep and unlike usual, I get into a deep sleep where nothing can wake me, besides the occasional bathroom trip. My sinuses and allergies have also been awful this go around and I think I might have caught a mild case of HFM from Sawyer. EXERCISE: Moderate walking throughout the week. BODY CHANGES: I can't button majority of my pants from a little bump and the acne is awful. My skin was glowing with Sawyer, this time my face and back are breaking out in bumps all over. BEST MOMENT SO FAR: Our first appointment was scheduled for Good Friday (which happened to be my first appointment with Sawyer as well). We got to confirm our pregnancy and see our little baby on an ultrasound for the first time. Sawyer even kept pointing to the screen with excitement which we thought was adorable. Baby's heartbeat was 161 at 8 weeks and they told us the baby was due on November 24th (one week before Sawyer's birthday). WORST MOMENT: At my second OB appointment. I was in such a great mood going into that appointment, ready to hear the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler for the first time. The NP I saw that day was not the greatest, pushing things I felt weren't needed and just blah about everything I asked or was talking about. She waited until the very end of the appointment to check for heartbeat (which they normally do as soon as you get there). She searched and searched and could not find the heart beat. She called for an immediate ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. Of course Bryan and I were pale faced at this point and I just kept saying out loud "God's got this." We said a prayer as they were prepping the ultrasound room and went in. By the grace of God the tech immediately found the baby and flipped on the monitor screen for us to see. The baby had a good strong heartbeat of 150 at 12 weeks 5 days. PRAISE JESUS. FOOD CRAVINGS & AVERSIONS: Cravings are REAL! I literally craved Sonic mozzarella sticks every day weeks 6-12. If I wanted something I had to have it right then or my mouth would start watering. Nothing in particular would cause an aversion but if I wasn't in the mood for something that we had originally planned for dinner, the thought of eating it would make me sick. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY: Per my pregnancy app, "Your baby can now squint, frown, and grimace. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. Your baby also starts to make sucking and chewing movements. And if his thumb happens to be near his mouth, he may latch onto it. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. His arms are growing more in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little one's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active." NEXT APPOINTMENT: 16 weeks. Can't come soon enough. I still haven't gotten to hear the heart beat out loud yet. TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: I had only gained one pound at my 12 week appointment. From where I had been nauseous in the beginning, I wasn't able to eat like I normally would. MISS ANYTHING? Deli meats and hot dogs, although I did give in and eat a cheddar dog last night, grilled and heated to max of course ha. GENDER: So this is iffy. Bryan says he's 99.5% sure it's a girl because my symptoms have been so different. I am kind of 50/50 right now, I still think maybe a boy because I've had friends who've had completely different pregnancies but the same gender for baby. We shall see. HAPPY OR MOODY? I would say a good mixture of both. I am so happy to be pregnant again and to be given this opportunity. Pregnancy and babies are such miracles. But, I have to admit, being sick, extremely tired, and worn out in the beginning caused for some major moodiness, just ask Bryan... You can read all about my first trimester with Sawyer here. On December 1 this precious baby boy of ours turned one. I honestly can't believe how fast a year has come and gone. One day it seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital walking laps waiting for Sawyer's arrival and then the next day seems never ending (normally a day when he refuses to nap and makes a huge mess around the house). Butttt, more so than ever, this year has truly passed so quickly. I've realized since welcoming this cutie into the world I've only posted a handful of times and that's because he keeps us busy and constantly on our toes. Sawyer John, this last year with you has been the best year of my (our) life. You have made me feel purpose in this world and I am so thankful God chose you to be ours. Your daddy and I love you beyond measure and it is the biggest blessing watching you grow. Sawyer is the happiest little boy I've ever met. He is so sweet, loves to cuddle, give kisses, and lay on his mamma's chest while sleeping. He is also very independent, does not enjoy sharing, and demands food all day long. I have probably lost more sleep in this last year than I have my entire life. I realized I can actually function with little to no sleep, although not recommended. Sawyer has never been a good sleeper. He slept the entire night for the first time around 8.5 months old which didn't last long. Somehow when he does end up sleeping throughout the night, I still end up getting up to check on him because we're not used to him going more than a few hours without waking. I breastfed him (with supplementation starting around 5-6 months) until the day he turned 11 months old. I sometimes wonder if this had anything to do with him waking so much throughout the night and expecting to nurse. He was a pro at nursing from the get go and now that he is on table food and whole milk, he will eat almost anything. Bath time is probably his favorite time of the day. He has always been a water baby, even loved the pool and ocean during the summer. He will play in the bath tub until his hands and feet get pruney and we make him get out. He isn't a fan of being lotioned or having his diaper changed. His favorite thing to eat is yogurt and he absolutely hates peas. He has an obsession with Mickey Mouse and our dog, Auggie. Auggie has been shockingly great with Sawyer. I am secretly wondering when our pup will get fed up with being hit, tail pulled, and having his toys yanked from his mouth on a daily basis. Until then, they remain good buds. Out of all the toys he's received, his favorite thing to play with is a screw driver. Not a plastic one, the real deal screw driver. We're not sure his obsession with it but he somehow always manages to find one around the house. He is currently taking 5-6 steps on his own which just started happening a week after he turned one. He is always bumping into everything and if he's not crawling under something and bumping his head, he's trying to walk and falling into something. He's destructive and loves to beat things together (especially the remote against the floor). He seems to have a pretty high pain tolerance considering majority of times he falls or hits his head he just gets back up and is on the go again. He also thinks getting hurt is extremely funny. Any time one of us trips or stubs our toe or yells out in a quick pain, he cracks up. We have to act like we're getting hurt to make him laugh when he's in a mood. Sawyer still somehow refuses to say "mamma". He's gotten close a few times but majority of his words are still jibberish. He's said "dada" since he was six months and will say "ah" for Auggie. Maybe for Christmas he will surprise me with saying Momma?! The older he gets the more he loves his paci, especially at night. He has never met a stranger (besides doctors) and will easily go to almost anyone. I believe his fear of doctors in their white coats came from when he had the flu at 10 months old. He tested positive for Flu type A and RSV at the same time. It was the scariest two weeks we've been through. But with the help of God and being a resilient little boy, we got through it with no medications (crazy to me) and lots of breathing treatments. Each day we spend with our Sawyer John is a blessing from above. I try not to take any moments for granted with him. I feel a joy and love like I have never felt before. I had always dreamed about becoming a Mom but never knew just how wonderful it would really be. I can now say I am way less organized, my house is constantly a mess (although I am still a germaphobe), sometimes I lose my sanity due to lack of sleep, and I constantly have mom guilt moments. I wouldn't trade these moments for anything. Everything becomes worth it when you see a smile on the little human I, my husband, and God created. Not only has heart doubled in size from our little boy, but with my husband as well. He has become the best dad. Bryan goes above and beyond everyday to make sure we are happy and being cared for. Every day we are learning something new as parents and we are trying to help shape our baby into what we prayed so long for.. a happy, healthy, and safe little boy. Not a day goes by we don't thank God for our Sawyer. Watching Sawyer experience new things and develop his own personality gives us life. To experience everything all over again through his eyes is pure bliss. To anyone who is trying for a baby, don't give up. I think back on the months we were trying for a child and everything we went through and how depressed I felt when I found out I didn't ovulate or a test came back negative. The few months of blood work and ultrasounds while being on multiple medications somehow felt like years. BUT, once you receive your blessing, and you will in some way or another, you tend to forget about the struggles you went through to get your happiness. Looking back, it all makes sense as to why we went through our journey. Prayer works and we know we wouldn't have our Sawyer John if it weren't for the power of prayer. Happy 1 year baby boy, we will forever love you to Jesus and back. How is it that my little baby is already 6 months old?! Half the year has come and gone since he came into this world and it just doesn't seem possible. Sawyer has filled our lives with so much joy, it's hard to imagine what life was like before him. We also have discovered a new level of exhaustion, but he makes those sleepless nights all worth it. I am really disappointed that I have not been able to do a monthly milestone post on here, but I have kept track elsewhere and plan to put it all in his baby memory keepsake book. Looking back through these monthly pictures makes me realize just how much he has changed since the beginning. His first couple of months he looked like his daddy's identical twin. Now he is growing into some of his mamma's features and everyone can see a little bit of both of us in him. I obviously have no one else to compare him to since he's our first, but from what I do know and what others have told me, he is the happiest baby. From the time he was first born, Sawyer showed us his sweet smile. He smiles every day, multiple times a day, and anything new will put a big smile on his face. His daycare calls him "smiley" and strangers in the store always note how happy he is when he gives them a big grin while we are waiting in line at checkout. The first month was very eventful as we had no idea what to expect. Thankfully we had a lot of help from family and Sawyer was overall a great baby. We had some issues with gas (as I heard most do) but luckily no colic. He nursed like a champ since he was born but depending on what I ate, he would get awful gas pains, especially at night. I had to really watch what my food choices. Besides the gas pains causing him to get upset/cry, he was generally happy and content. He loved to nurse, all hours of the day/night (still does) and would always give me a big smile right before he was finished. Although, he ate constantly, Sawyer never put on the pounds like we anticipated. He was born 8 pounds 9 ounces but lost a lot of his baby fat and became long and lean super quickly. The doctor was never concerned and said he is probably taking after his parents. He hasn't had his 6 month well visit yet, but we weighed him last week on a baby scale we have at home and he was almost 17 pounds. As soon as Sawyer's umbilical cord fell off I put him in the bath tub with me. He hated his infant bath but loved being in the tub with his momma. For the first few months I would get in the bath with him to turn what was once a dreaded event into one we looked forward to. He has now grown into the biggest water baby of all time and I think it's because I always submerged him in water during bath time. Little man has never enjoyed tummy time and still to this day despises it. We also discovered in those first two months of his life (December and January) that he absolutely hated to be cold. We would keep him in fleece sleepers and bundled up majority of the time. Around 2 months he started to really develop a sense of curiosity. He loved listening to people talk to him and became fascinated every time we would play music. I have so many videos of us laying in his bedroom floor just listening to music on my phone. He started "cooing" at two months and discovered his love of interest with his hands. By month 3 he was sleeping 6 to 7 hours at night. We would put him to bed around 10:00 and he would wake up and nurse around 4am then go back to bed until 8:00ish. At this point we thought our sleepless nights were almost over (we were wrong, very wrong). At 3 months Sawyer became very aware of his surroundings and loved to be around his pup, Auggie. We heard little man's first "chuckle" when Auggie decided to do hot laps in the living room floor. This first laughter of his put the biggest smile on mine and Bryan's face, we could not get enough of those little sounds. To this day Sawyer cracks up every time his pup does hot laps. During this month Sawyer wanted to be with Bryan and I at all times. He began to cry when someone (besides mommy or daddy) would go to hold him, but he outgrew that stage quickly. If you told him he was handsome, he would soon warm up and give you his famous smile. Month 4, he was trying to talk and get anyone and everyone's full attention. We discovered his love for his exersaucer jumper that his great grandmother got for him. Any time we needed a hand this was our go to. He could easily entertain himself in there for a few minutes at a time.. During this month I returned back to work after being on maternity leave for 16 weeks. Since my first week back to work (the end of March) Sawyer has not slept decent since. He went from sleeping 6/7 hours straight to up every 2 hours, at least! I am not sure if this is due to missing mommy time (and nursing) throughout the day or what, but the lack of sleep is exhausting. We noticed he began to drool some and chew on things a lot more so teething could have been the culprit too. However, it's been over two months since returning and no sign of good sleep seems to be in the forecast. He rolled over for the first time during month 4, constantly tried to sit up/stand up on his own, and quickly fell in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while we would get ready for work in the mornings. If you're familiar with this, his excitement for the "hot dog" dance is unreal. During month 5 and leading into month 6 it seems like Sawyer hit the ground running. He is doing something new every single day. In the beginning of month 5 we began to slowly introduce solids into his diet. I give him something new to try every Friday. He hated baby oatmeal (causing major constipation) and absolutely loves pureed bananas from a jar (not the kind mommy made from her bananas). I am hoping he won't take after me and my picky diet. I have tried to give him a variety of baby purees but so far he has not been a big fan of green beans and seems to enjoy fruits more than vegetables. Since he now has two bottom teeth that officially came through his gums a week prior to turning 6 months, he attempts to grab anything in sight and put it in his mouth. His favorites include my hair, Auggie, toys, and bibs. I gave him a teething wafer to try a couple nights ago and it was a major hit. We took him to the pool this past month where we discovered his love for water wasn't just in the bath tub. He loves to grab your face and pull you into his to give out kisses (he also loves receiving kisses too). He contracted his first virus (shew that was scary). He would chose to be outside over inside. He is now fascinated by his tongue and sticks it out and blows bubbles constantly. He wants to walk so badly (he can walk forward and backwards in his stand up seat walker). Enjoys car rides and going new places as long as you pack his toys for entertainment, his favorite happens to be a sensory ball that he will kick like crazy until he wears himself out. We are thinking he might take after his dad and want to play soccer when he's older. There are so many things I could include in this post but these are just some of my favorites. He is hitting new milestones daily and his love of interest in all things is remarkable. These first 6 months have truly been a blessing and we sure love watching our little man grow. I can't wait to see what these next 6 months hold for him. We love you forever and always, Sawyer John. June 1, 2017 my daily scripture read, Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15. Later that day we found out Sawyer was going to be a healthy baby boy. On June 1, 2018 Sawyer turned 6 months old and that verse appeared on my word alert bible app for that day. I can't help but to thank God daily for the biggest blessing we have ever received. The gift of our little Sawyer is truly, indescribable.
The last couple of years we have spent our Memorial Day weekend in Georgia at my in-laws house. This year was no different, except we were introducing our baby boy to his first (of many) days spent out on their boat playing in the sun on Lake Lanier. We originally thought we were going to have to save Sawyers first boat ride for the next time we visited since the weather man had predicted a wash out in Georgia from Hurricane Alberto. Luckily, the rain held off and we were able to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather majority of the weekend. Side note: It is crazy to think that this weekend last year we shared our pregnancy news with everyone, (you can read about that post here). We took a picture on the dock below their home and held up a onesie reading "Baby Houston December 2017." When I realized it had been exactly one year since we took and shared that image, I was hoping the rain would hold off so we could retake the same image, just holding our baby boy instead of the onesie in our hands this year. It is amazing how fast time fly's with a little one around, it certainly does not seem like it has been a year. I can remember like it was yesterday being so happy reaching 12 weeks of pregnancy and finally being able to openly talk about our pregnancy journey. I hope to retake this same image in years to come on the dock overlooking the lake and watch as our family grows and changes throughout the years. May 2017 May 2018 This weekend Sawyer enjoyed his first boat ride so much that he slept almost the entire time we were out on the water. I think he loved the motion from the boat gliding on the water and the sounds that came from it as well. His long nap allowed for Bryan and I to spend some time together on the front of the boat lounging together in the sun. As we made our way back in from the lake, Sawyers CoCo and Pop prepped dinner and we took little man for a dip in their pool. We enjoyed steaks on the grill and had a beautiful evening watching the sun set and playing catch up with our family. |
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