Since you've been gone.....

...Er, actually, since I'VE been gone a lot has happened. Obviously it would take me forever and a day to update everything that we've done in the last 3 months, so I'll give you the quick rundown.

• I got another tattoo! Well, it's technically two (one on each shoulder) but I say one. It's a pair of swallows. I got them for the kids. Swallows represent loyalty and pride. They always come back home and I would like to think that I am home to Graycen and Parker.

• We got family pictures done by Emily Schnick, who happens to be an old friend of David's family. It was sort of a One Year birthday shoot for Parker/family picture day. We went down to Hidden Falls in Highland Park and Emily shot our pictures. She did a FANTASTIC job! You should go check her out!


• Parker turned one! Woo hoo and Boo Hoo all at the same time. My little baby is officially a toddler now and it's such a bittersweet moment. He started walking about a month after his birthday and now he's all over the place.

• Parker was officially diagnosed with food allergies. After a scary discovery that he was allergic to peanuts (I had to call 9-1-1 even) we had the allergy testing done again. Turns out he is allergice to peanuts, eggs and soy.  We now have to be very aware of what he eats and always carry around EpiPens. I'll write more on this one later.
• Our sweet niece, Ava Mae, was born to my little brother, Zach and his fiancee, Emma on June 28. She is absolutely adorable!
• Graycen went and spent the weekend up north with Grandma, Grandpa and Buttons. Now, Buttons is their dog and while up there those two created such a bond. She sure loves that puppy. This was her first time away from home so it was pretty rough on myself, David and Parker. Parker was so grumpy and whiney the whole time she was gone. Poor guy missed his sister. She had a great time though! There's another trip in the works, we'll just see when it will be!

• We made a trip to Como Zoo and the kids enjoyed it like they always do!

• As a family we went out to this mini family fun day at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove. Graycen had fallen asleep on the way out there so she was a grump for the first little bit that we were there. She got to do a few little crafts, but her favorite thing was when she got "a tattoo" on her cheek. She sat till long enough for the lady to paint a tiger with a rainbow on her cheek. It was pretty cute.

• Graycen was a flower girl in our friends, Dino & Dana's wedding. She was adorable in her little dress and tiara. She wouldn't cooperate for pictures, but did so well walking down the aisle with Bobby (the ring bearer) It was a beautiful wedding and we couldn't have been happier to have Graycen in it.

• Graycen was asked to be flower girl in another wedding! Our niece, Katie, is getting married next August and her and Josh decided to ask if Graycen would like to be their flower girl. She was super excited when I asked her if she would like to. Of course we accepted!
• David and I got a night out and went and enjoyed Jason Mraz at the Xcel Center. He was amazing, as he always is. His openers were Bushwalla, K'Naan and G. Love & Special Sauce. The show was fantastic!!

• The whole gang made the trip to the fair. The kids were great and they both fell asleep in the stroller, which allowed more time for David and I to stroll around and look at more stuff (and of course, eat more!)

• I made Ambassador at school. In short, what this means is I'm kind of like an honors student/teacher's aide. I will be graduating with additional honors because of it. You're chosen based on your grades, attendence, behaviors and participation. I'm very proud to say I have kept my GPA at 3.89 and have only missed 2 days of school. Not too bad!
• We met up with my aunt Diane at the MN Zoo. Graycen instantly became her bestie and they hung out the whole time. It was a great time, the weather was perfect and since the fair was going on - we really had no traffic there!


• We tried to get Graycen into Head Start. Did you know there are income guidelines and waiting lists to meet to be able to get into this program? That's crazy to me, but whatever. Anyways, because I am in school we actually meet the income guidelines right now BUT there is a huge waiting list. There were 174 kids on the list ahead of where we would be had we chosen to put Graycen on it. The average wait time to get her in - 8-14 months. No thanks, we'll find somewhere else.. even if it means we have to pay to get her in there.
• Graycen turned three! We had a mini celebration at my aunt Rae's house last Sunday when they had a BBQ and we brought a cake and it turned into a little party.

• 
  
  Saturday was her actual birthday and Ma (David's mom) came down for the day. Our plan was to hit up Como Zoo after we went brithday hopping for the girl, but there was seriously no place to park over there. It was horrible. Change of plans - we went to Applebee's for some lunch and then went back home. Both kids fell asleep in the truck on the way home and Graycen stayed asleep. We waited awhile then woke her up so we could do cake and presents before Ma had to leave for home. It was a good day.

(don't know why the cake is sideways)

I'm sure there's more but my brain is fried for the moment. If I think of something I will add it in.

Happy Half Birthday Parker!

I can't believe our little (BIG) guy is 6 months old already. Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday that Graycen was born. Oh man!
Parker had his 6 month well baby check today, coincidentally. He checks out healthy, like usual, and a big guy! His stats were: Weight - 21 pounds 6 ounces (97th percentile) and Height - 28 inches (90th percentile) He's a big guy, just like his sister was.

• He loves to roll over and gets mad when he can't reach something or roll back.
• He loves to sit for short periods of time and just today, while sitting (unassisted) he reached for a toy that Graycen had in her hands. I couldn't believe he kept his balance, too!
• He started rice cereal just about a week ago. We held off due to his skin irritations. It has been confirmed today that it is Eczema. Go figure - he has skin problems just like his mommy.
• He mostly sleeps through the whole night - usually waking one time to eat and then going back to sleep.
• Naps are still shorter than I would like them to be (at 30-45 minutes each), but apparently they are considered "normal" as long as those naps in combination with his night sleep add up to where they should be.
• He loves watching Graycen play, dance, talk - whatever! He thinks it is funny when she cries. Graycen hates that!
• He loves the Exersaucer, Bumbo, his floor mat and his bouncer chair. Well, he pretty much loves everything as long as he isn't left alone to lay on the floor with nothing to play with/look at.

The boy is getting too old, too fast. It's only a matter of time before he's crawling and before we know it, we'll be celebrating his first birthday. Oh my gosh!

Parker: 3 weeks (almost)

I called the doctor's office on Thursday of last week because I had forgotten to call and get him in to the doctor for a 2 week newborn check-up. I wasn't able to get him in until today (which is 2 days shy of being 3 weeks old) This is 1 week later than they wanted him to come in and 1 week before he would have had to go in for a 1 month check, so they called it even and it became both of his appointments in one. We saw a new doctor and for once, i.love.her! She was really nice, sweet and I just plain felt comfortable with her. We will continue seeing her. She is also willing to see both kids at once. So, I was able to make Parker's 2 month appointment and Graycen's 2 year appointment for the same day and she will see them in the same visit! It's great! Parker weighed in at 10lbs (exactly!) which put him in the 97th percentile and is 21.5inches tall which put him in the 95th percentile. He's a big one - just like his sister!
She said he looks great. She asked how he was sleeping and I was telling her he sleeps anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours during the day and at night he goes one stretch for about 5-6.5 hours without waking up (usually around 7pm-12am) She couldn't believe he was already going for the stretch and apparently, we are very lucky! KNOCK ON WOOD!
So, everything looks good now and we will see how much he has grown and changed when we go back in on August 25. Yay for healthy babies!

Chilling on his tummy on a pillow (which he really seems to like)

Sleeping in the bouncer chair while I made breakfast for Graycen.

39 Week Appointment

So...had the appointment today. I was almost sure I wouldn't make it to this appointment, so I was a little surprised that I did. I thought for sure Parker would have made his appearance by now. Oh well..
Anyways. I am sitting at almost 3cm (which is already more than I was when I went into labor with Graycen) I was 2cm at my appointment on Thu and I was still 2cm when I went into labor on the following Monday. So, I'm happy that I'm already dilated a little more than I was with her. I'm having contractions but nothing regular.. :( Bleh! The Dr said she doesn't think she will see me at my appointment next Monday. If by chance she does, I have to start the non-stress tests - which she wants to do 2-3 times/week until he is born. She also said (if I come back on Monday) we can talk about inducing me, if I would like. Otherwise we can let nature run its course... So, it's something we have to think about. My blood pressure still looks good and Parker's heart rate is still good. Good things to report there.

Doctor appointment...AGAIN!

I feel like I really was just at the doctor. Well, I was there on Thursday of last week and my appointment for this week was today. It happened to be the only day I could get in this week was today.
Well, there has been some progress from 4 days ago - yay! I am now almost 2cm and have thinned out some more - not much, but some. My weight stayed the same, blood pressure still great and Parker's heartbeat was still "happy baby in there."
Last night while putting Graycen down for bed, Parker was moving so much and so strongly that it seriously felt like he was turning around. I was nearly in tears while this was happening - I couldn't believe it. I told the doctor this today and she looked at me, a little worried, and said "Well, I'm going to MAKE SURE I feel a head then." She was telling me her daughter turned herself around (from head down to butt down) at 37.5 weeks - wowza! Luckily, she felt Parker's head. I was afraid he was giving himself a version! ;-) She said it is very possible he was just turning over instead. Either way, I say - Parker Thomas, you stay in position!!
We'll see what happens in the next week. My next appointment is Monday of next week!

No News!

I had my appointment yesterday and there really is nothing to report. My blood pressure was "nearly perfect" and judging by Parker's heartbeat, he's "a very happy baby in there." I am dilated 1cm, that's it. Nothing too exciting going on but thought I would update. I have my next appointment on Monday. Let's hope for some more progress by then!! ;-)

What a way to celebrate 36 weeks

So, for once, I have no idea how much I should worry about something. Just this evening I got my results back from my Group B Strep test. I tested positive. My stomach sank when I read the result. David was already in bed, so I had nobody to even talk to about it.
Of course, the researcher in me has to know everything about this now. I can't stop googling and clicking on millions of websites (to basically read the same thing I just read on the last web page.) I keep crying because I read things here and there that make me scared. Like the following:

"Sadly, about 5 percent die, and some of the survivors end up with neurological problems like vision or hearing loss and cerebral palsy."

"Approximately 1 of every 100-200 babies who are born to mothers who carry GBS will become ill"

"it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia), inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), or infection in the bloodstream (sepsis)."

I know there are lots of good things to see in these articles as well, but of course, when it is your child's life you are thinking about, only the bad ones seem to make an impact. Some of the more positive things I have read are:

"the good news is that getting screened when you're between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy and receiving antibiotic treatment during labor if you test positive will greatly reduce your baby's risk of becoming infected."

"by getting treated with antibiotics during labor, you reduce your baby's chance of getting the infection even further — to about one in 4,000. "

"if you're a GBS carrier, your baby's medical team will observe him closely for signs of infection."

30 days left!

Wow! 30...30...30!! Can you believe there are only 30 days left until my due date? I can't!
I had my doctor appointment today. It went well. I had the Group B Strep test done (yuck!) I should have those results in a few days. My blood pressure is a little high but nothing out of the ordinary. My hemoglobin checked 11.5 I guess it should be between 12 and 16, I think. The nurse gave me a chart that showed iron rich foods - she handed it to me and said "eat up!" Right, like I'm not eating! Ha ha! I am dilated a little but not even 1cm and am 10-20% effaced. My belly measured 38cm (which at this point in the game isn't too accurate of a gauge anymore.) Parker is still head down (yay!) and the doctor was able to feel his head (another yay!)
All in all, it was a good visit. Always a good thing! Saturday marks 36 weeks. I am so excited!

No more stupid glucose tests for me!

I went to the Dr today for my 30 (31.5 week) checkup. All is good.
My blood pressure is great, heartbeat is strong and I am measuring just a few days ahead of schedule (based on my tummy check)
I brought up my concerns with the glucose testing and how I can't usually go more than 2.5-3 hours without eating and he recommended we do a 'random test.' I went over to the lab after my appointment, had my blood drawn and waited for a few minutes. I needed to get between 65-140 and I got 88. He thinks the 160 was a fluke reading and says I am 'in the clear' and he isn't worried about it at all especially since I am not gaining weight at a rapid weight, the baby isn't getting too big and there is nothing else that would indicate to him that I have gestational diabetes. Thankfully!
I saw a different doctor this time. There are 6 doctors that could potentially deliver Parker and it was recommended I get through all of them - just in case. This is the first time I have had a male doctor that I would willingly schedule another appointment with. I felt so comfortable with him - it was weird...for me. I liked him a lot. I don't plan on seeing the other male doctor and will continue to see the other 3 female doctors and then will also see him again. Yay for a good doctor!!

Parker's 30 Week Ultrasound Pictures

I have scanned, yes, scanned (thanks for the assurance on this one Missy!) the pictures from my ultrasound the other day - finally!!
You can see just how cute and fat his face is - just like Graycen's!

Happy things to report!

I had my follow-up ultrasound this morning and everything went well!!
My placenta has moved!!! This means I don't have placenta previa and there is no scheduled c-section in front of us because of it! I can't even put into words how excited I am by this news! It's just wonderful! Wonderful, I tell ya!
I didn't get to watch on the screen while the technician was getting her stuff since it didn't rotate and the tv they hook up for you to watch on wasn't hooked up for some reason. She did take 4 pics for me, which I am happy about. As soon as I saw the pictures, I started to cry. Parker is just adorable! She said he has a chubby face, which is no surprise! I think he looks like Graycen. David says "you think so?" and I do! I can't believe how different he looks from 10 weeks ago. It's so crazy!

What a waste of time

So, I woke up at 6:30 this morning to go in for my 3 hour glucose test down at the hospital. I get there, bleary eyed, check in and sit down. The lady calls my name, I follow her down the little hallway and sit down in the chair in front of her. She has to draw my blood before we start anything. She asks me if I fasted, as directed. I did. She then proceeds to tell me if I get sick (meaning, if i throw up) at any time during the test we have to stop. Okie dokie. She draws my blood, I am fine, we can proceed. She tells me the only have one kind in stock right now so I don't have a choice in flavors. I think "ok, just as long as it's not a red one" What does she come out with? But of course, fruit punch! Red drinks give me heartburn and burps - severely! I have to drink 100mL of this super sugary, non watered down fruit punch syrup. Yes, it drank just like a syrup. It was horrible. I had 5 minutes... only 5 minutes to drink syrup. Oy! I finished it and was afraid I was going to throw up right then. I sat there for a good while. People were coming and going but myself and 2 other pregnant women sat there... just waiting for our next draw. The other 2 girls were up. I sat there and felt it. Yep - the sickness. I could feel it coming. I got up and asked the receptionist where the bathroom was. She told me. I made it into the bathroom but didn't even have the chance to let the door close all the way or to even turn on the light before I lost it all. I went back to the receptionist and felt like an ashamed little kid. "I threw up," I say. She just looked at me like 'you poor thing' and said she needed to call my doctor to see what they wanted me to do. She comes back and tells me that since I didn't even make it to my 1 hour draw (I was seriously only 12 minutes away from my draw) and they have nothing from me at all, I have to come back and give it another try.
Yay me! So, I get to go back on an empty stomach and drink the crap and hopefully not throw up again. I am willing to bet I don't make it to the 1 hour draw again.

** I just want to clarify - I did make it to the toilet! There was no mess or antyhing to clean up... :-)

I FAILED!

I went in for my appointment today at my new clinic - which I *LOVE* I missed my 28 week appointment at my last clinic and this was the soonest I could get in at this clinic so I had my 1 hour glucose test today and I FAILED! I got a 160. I need to measure below 140 to be in the clear. If I would have measured 200 or more then I would have just been considered to have Gestational Diabetes. I have to go back within the next week to take the 3 hour test, which I am NOT looking forward to. I passed with Graycen and never had to worry about it. My blood pressure is 'beautiful' which is great to hear! The nurse said to me "So, June 21, huh?" I replied with "June 21? I thought the doctor said the 23rd..??" She said "Nope, we have written here the 21st. Let me check your dates. Nope - the 21st is your due date." Ok. So that would mean I was right when I calculated my due date myself before I even had any appointments! So, we are back to the 21st. My ultrasound measures the 13th but they're not changing it.
I have my follow-up ultrasound appointment set for Tuesday of next week. This is the appointment where we will see if the placenta has moved or not... let's keep our fingers crossed that it has! Unfortunately, I will not get the results of that ultrasound until the following Tuesday when I go in for my 30 week appointment (which I will really be 31.5 weeks along at that point...) Crazy, crazy, crazy!

The Home Stretch

I can't believe I have entered my third and final trimester. Time really has gone by so quickly and I feel like I lost it all!
Parker is quite the mover. He shakes my belly around more than Graycen ever did. So I am wondering if this means he is going to be even more active than her - which is hard to do! I still get sick first thing in the morning but that's it. I was the same way with Graycen, too. Really, my morning sickness lasted the entire pregnancy - in a way. I have bursts of energy here and there but mostly there - LOL. I feel like my belly is bigger this time around. I hope that doesn't mean this is a bigger baby. Graycen was 8lbs 1/2oz and 21.5in - we'll see how big he is. Any guesses?
We've been stocking up on everything - diapers, wipes, etc. Every trip we make to Target I have bought a pack of diapers. I know we will go through them fast so I thought it's worth it to start stocking up now.
I have my 28 week appointment on Wednesday. I have decided to switch clinics as well as hospitals. I made this decision based on a couple of things. First of all, I made the decision to switch clinics because I have decided I am not going to try to be superwoman and go through L&D (labor & delivery) with no meds. I caved and got an epidural with Graycen and honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. I remember everything so clearly, I was able to sleep for a while before pushing, I was happy, Graycen wasn't drowsy like "they" said she may be. The only part of it I didn't like was actually having it administered. I feel like if I continue to see the midwives they may try to push me a little harder to keep it natural and that's not the direction I want to go. I know I am going to get it so why bother trying for something else. Also - the midwives there only deliver at St John's. We decided that the hospital was a little further away than we would like for it to be. If I happen to go into labor during rush hour, we are looking at about an hour drive (if not more) to get to the hospital regardless if we take the highway or side roads. Not something I want to worry about.
So - with all of that being said, I am switching to Fridley OB/GYN for my care and Unity Hospital for my delivery. Unity is an Allina Hospital, which United was and I had a good experience there. I am pretty excited about my change, if you can believe it. I don't know many women that might be comfortable with switching clinics and hospitals in the 3rd trimester of their pregnancy. Crazy!
I think my next ultrasound (the one to check to see if the placenta has moved or not) will probably be at my next appointment - which will be at 30 weeks. I am excited since we will get to see Parker again - and so much bigger this time!

Can you hear me now? Good!

So, we went to Graycen's 18 month appointment today (which was 2 weeks later than it should have been)
She weighed in at 30.4lbs (88th percentile)
She is 33.5 inches tall (93rd percentile)
Her head was 19 inches around (90th percentile)
Doctor said her vocabulary is outstanding, she looks great, her behaviors are wonderful and "She looks like a wonderfully, well rounded, spunky young lady" Young lady?!?! OMG!
He talked about potty training and since Graycen is a female "It is mom's sole duty to potty train her. I mean, since they learn from observation and all" Are you kidding me? Just because dad doesn't have a vagina doesn't mean he can't show a little girl how to sit on a potty. Give me a break!
He also couldn't hear very well (which the nurse told us about before he came in) He asked me a question, I didn't completely hear what he said and I said "I'm sorry, what did you say?" He replied with "OK, that's great!" Wow, oh wow.
I can guarantee we will *NOT* be seeing this doctor again!

It's been a while..

since there have been pics or videos of the Graycie girl... Here is one David took tonight while he was home with her. She sure loves her Baby Einstein. Can ya tell??



For an update on Graycen:
we had her 15 month appointment last week (a whole month late) She got her chicken pox vaccine and had a normal check-up. Weighing in at 28.5 pounds (80th percentile) and measuring 32.5 inches (90th percentile) For once she is NOT off the charts anymore!! She is still above average but not off the charts! The doctor is impressed with how much she is talking and how large her vocabulary is. She said she is advanced as far as that goes. She is quite the talked! We will go back in 2 months for her 18 month appointment. It seems like she is just getting too big, too fast.
She has all four of her first molars in and is now working on her canines and they are sucking big time! This has meant late night crying sessions and LOTS of drool. Poor girl! Soon enough, they will all be in and we will be good...for a while.
She's running and kissing and playing like a mad woman and just doesn't ever stop. I need a rest!

Since people are wondering...

it seems as though Graycen doesn't have the chicken pox. We have a couple of more days of "waiting to see," but it doesn't look like she has them. In a way, I was hoping she would get them so we would be done with, but then on the other hand, I didn't want her to get them because I was worried about the fever and blah blah blah....

So she might have chicken pox!

I just found out this morning that my niece, Alexis, has the chicken pox. I called our pediatrician and what she told me was..... it starts out with symptoms just like the "virus" she had last week. GREAT! Now that they know she was exposed to someone with chicken pox, they say it is more than likely that she has caught it. I guess they are contagious from 7-21 days before they break out in the "blisters" Wow, this is going to be fun.

It's just a virus.

So, Graycen woke up from her nap on Friday and had no fever. I called the Dr and she said we can cancel the appointment since the fever was gone. OK. We went out to Target and Walmart, came home, ate dinner. I kept noticing that it seemed like Graycen kept choking, but on nothing. It was also seeming like she was having difficulty swallowing. I noticed she was hot - AGAIN. I took her temp - the fever was back! I called the Dr, they wanted me to bring her in to urgent care. So we go in (it's 7:45pm now) they check her out, take her temp - 103.2 - WOW! Gave her some Tylenol. The Dr comes in, says her throat looks red, they want to do a strep test and check her white cell count. The Dr does a swab inside of her mouth, which she hated, they sent it over to the lab and sent us over to the lab to have blood drawn. We go sit and wait in the waiting area, the assistant calls us back to the room. Dr comes in, no strep. They find she has a virus. I asked the Dr how long she is contagious, he says "ahhh you don't want to know" ok..... "2 weeks" wow again! Because kids are always putting their hands in their face and on everything it is contagious a little longer. okie dokie. We have to give her Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours (alternating each one) it sucks. it's only until the fever is surely gone. Dr also said he wouldn't be surprised, since her immune system is down, if she turned up with an ear infection or something in the next few days.
That was our fun adventure. She is seeming a lot better now. No fever and she is wanting to eat again. Poor girl.

"she looks great!"

Today we had Graycen's 9 month well baby check-up. It was a short one, no shots or any bad stuff! She was weighed, measured and checked out then we left. She weighed in at 23 pounds, 12 ounces and measured in at 28 inches tall! The doctor said she looks great and it looks like we're doing a wonderful job with her. She is right on target for development and there are no causes for concern anywhere! She is happy and that is that. :) Our next visit will be in about 2.5 months when we go in for her 12 month appointment. It sounds like she will be so much older when we say 1 year, so we resort to using 12 months... :(