OTD - I must be nuts

Sitting in the recliner, completely uncomfortable, and updating my resume and writing a personal statement to go back to school for a clinical doctorate. I must be nuts.

The baby is kicking in all awkward ways. I am not sleeping partly due to cold/illness, partly due to a 2 year old with a cold/illness, and partly due to being less than 4 weeks from my due date. No more big bouts of contractions since last weekend thankfully, but I am getting very uncomfortable these days. It's just getting towards the end where I really do have to pay attention to changing my position frequently, which can be difficult for me, especially when I am in a rhythm of writing reports or doing billing or other paperwork.

I had my first of my last 4 weekly OB appointments on Friday. Yikes - we are in the home stretch. It was check-up as usual, but again with the end of this pregnancy I am measuring on the small side. This means another late term ultrasound in 1-2 weeks to made sure the baby is the right size. I think this one will just be like Nathaniel and it's all baby in there with not as much room/fluid to make me larger. I'm a small person. There is only so much space for this baby to grow. But I guess best to be on the safe side and have another ultrasound. We'll see if I spot anything this time to make me think boy or girl. I thought I spotted something when I had my late term ultrasound with Nathaniel, but then the ultrasound tech said something about long fingers, so I second guessed myself. I love the surprise anyway and getting to hear it come from Anthony is great too. My hemoglobin is low again, so I'm back to taking more iron supplements now and probably after baby arrives since I was low on iron after Nathaniel. No wonder I am so tired - overworked, very pregnant, and low iron count in my blood. The biggest news from the visit is that I am starting to dilate (a very small amount). This is no sign that the baby is coming early per my OB, but it is big news in this house because this is more than I progressed on my own with Nathaniel. Only time will tell when this little one decides to come, but hopefully not until after daddy's trial on Friday and after I get a bunch of work things settled in the next couple of weeks.

We are starting to feel ready around here however. We have the cradle back in our room and Nathaniel rocks it every day. It is the cradle that Anthony's grandfather made for his children. Grandma Kay slept in it, daddy slept in it, Nathaniel slept in it (among many other aunts, uncle, and cousins) and now this little one will sleep in it. My bags are packed with a exception of a few toiletries and the car seat is in the car. I think we are ready physically and getting there mentally. Nathaniel continues to want to "see the baby" every day - which means lifting up my shirt so that he can press his hands and face on my belly and fingers into my belly button as the baby is "inside there".

Here's an image that brought smiles and laughter to Anthony and I this morning. Nathaniel in his Twins helmet (too big for daddy's head even) walking around the living room playing and reading this morning as if it was typical to wear a baseball helmet while playing in the morning. Another smile that tells me things will turn out ok, even if I am nuts.

Freaking Out - HELP!

We had our 5th anniversary yesterday. It was a long day at work writing reports, watching the tarps fall down towards my head again (a second failed effort at increased safety from falling ceiling tiles in our office), and then a wonderful night out. I took the bus and then the light rail downtown to meet Anthony outside City Hall and we headed to the Westin. I was not very impressed by the 4 star hotel in the end (noisy noisy hall at all hours of the night and a shower faucet that was impossible to turn on - one thing I can blame the hotel for the other I can't). After we checked in, we did have a lovely evening.

It was a gorgeous fall night to walk around downtown. It wasn't quite as warm as the day we got married, but still a nice night for a walk around downtown. We had a delicious dinner at McCormick's with no room for dessert and then headed to the deserted block E for a movie. There were about 6 other people in the theater as we watched Moneyball. It was a very enjoyable movie for both of us. It got out early enough to take the skyway back to the hotel and we relaxed before turning in late for us (10:30 pm). We were both sound out and ready for a good night's sleep in a king sized bed with the ability to sleep in past 7 am when a women and her yippy dogs made noise in the hall outside our room for 15+ minutes at nearly 2 am. I was then awake for the next 2 hours with contractions on and off. I finally made it back to sleep between 3:30 and 4. Not exactly the restful night I was looking for and of course my brain started to freak out quickly.

I am 5 weeks away from my due date and I was overdue with Nathaniel, so I was just in the mindset that this time around would be similar. I had planned to work even past my due date in order to get things set before going on maternity leave. Last night, got my mind in a whirlwind of chaos. I started thinking about all the due process, billing, and prep I have to do in the next 2 weeks (and more so was planning to do in the next 2 weeks). I started to think that I should try to get things done this weekend just in case this baby decides to come early. I started to think about the scramble to get notes ready for my sub and realized 2 am was not the time to think about it. We got some rest, and each took a nice long shower in the "heavenly shower" with dual shower heads at the Westin. We took the train back home and went out for a very late brunch. We headed to my folks' house to see Nathaniel and once he was down for a nap, I went online to start working on the due process, billing, etc that was making me freak out and what do I find, but that the website is unavailable. Now at 2 am I have a new email from that website about a compliance issue, but now this afternoon I can't get onto the website. This is very irritating and making me more insane. I think I need to just let it go, but I'm so not that type of person.

On a much lighter note, Nathaniel cheers me up. He is doing a lot of singing lately and seems to love to sing and also is saying several nursery rhymes. He is very interested in making "movies" of himself on mommy and daddy's phones so that he can watch himself sing and then sing along. If ever I need to cheer up, that is the easiest way for me to do it - just turn on my little man singing the ABCs, wheels on the bus, Roly Poly, Teddy Bear, 3 little fish (some of them "fast too").

More Weight Gain and Yet Still a Busy Boy

We had our most recent weight check yesterday, Oct 26, and Nathaniel gained 1/2 pound last week!!! He is eating a bit more every day and drinking less of the supplement when he eats more, so it is finally a good sign that something is sticking somewhere. We are continuing the acupressure massage 1x/day, but haven't been giving him the herbal supplement. I'm just glad he is asking for food more often (sometimes as a stall tactic - my little smartypants and manipulator) and eating well again. Let's keep the weight gain up.

On the other side of things, he is still as active and busy as ever. He is constantly cleaning the house with his vacuum or duster/swiffer. He is constantly on the go whether he's playing, cleaning, or sleeping. I don't know how he has so much energy and I wish I could steal some from him about now. He eats a few bites of something and suddenly is bursting with even more energy. The best part though is that he is so curious so everything he is doing helps him learn more and more about his world and he is learning more than I could have ever expected all the time.

Week Off With My Little Man

I had the past week off work and while I did go in to so an assessment on Monday and spent good portions of Nathaniel's naps on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday doing paperwork, it was a wonderful week of time spent with my little man.

Monday we went with my mom, sister, and nephew to get my nephew's 1 month old pictures taken. Nathaniel and I spent time at the playland at Rosedale and also checked out all the chairs and couches in the "Home" section at JCPenny.

Tuesday was spent with a trip to the dentist. Nathaniel was a little scared of the moving chair and wouldn't open his mouth for Auntie Cherie (our hygenist), but did like his new toothbrush.

Wednesday was spent hanging out at home. Nathaniel is suddenly very interested in playing with little people and animals. He was busy finding places for everyone in the barn, zoo, airport, and manger scene.

Thursday we got to take the train downtown to see daddy's work. He was super shy around all the people at daddy's work, but enjoyed walking around downtown, seeing the farmer's market, eating lunch at the restaurant, and riding on the train.

Friday we took Oma and Opa to the carpet store to pick out new carpet for their hallway and stairs. We also visited with Grandma Betts.

The week just seems like a blur now. Saturday was fun because we were all home together for a while. Nathaniel went with daddy to Trader Joe's to get new pumpkins since the squirrels ate the ones we got from the pumpkin patch. They brought home some flowers for me as well :) 

Nathaniel had his first experience digging the guts out of the pumpkins and mommy and daddy carved them out. Can you tell we have a 2 year old in our house? He was excited to see them with the candles in and the lights out. He got to spent the evening and night at Grandma and Grandpa Betts's house while mommy and daddy went to the Stars Championship Game (the first leg at least). He must have had fun because he didn't want us to come this morning to get him.

One busy week and only time to blog once. Yikes I am busy. One last picture for the week of our little man wearing his "band" (headband) at Grandma and Papa's house. Papa showed him the headband when we was diggging through the drawer for brushes and combs the other day.

Weigh-Ins and Feeding Clinic

We've been having weekly "weigh-ins" since Nathaniel's second birthday, basically. He's been weighed all too often for a child so young. He thankfully knows the drill. Check in, wait to be called back by "one of the ladies" (usually purusing Car and Driver or Motortrend Magazine while we wait), walk back to the scale, take shoes and jacket off, step on the scale and wait for a reaction, step off, put shoes and jacket back on, go get a sticker, and then leave for Oma and Opa's house for the day. For me it's the anxiety of will he have gained, lost, or stayed the same, always hoping it is anything other than weight loss.

This week he was back up 4 ounces - hooray. Then we went to feeding clinic this morning and he was down 1/2 pound on their scale from yesterday. There is so much variability from scale to scale and week to week apparently. No wonder I feel nuts.

Feeding clinic went well this morning. He ate for the "ladies". He was his normal self. His low facial tone was evident and we have some strength things to work on (which I was aware of) and his sensory aversions are not major. It felt validating to know that we're doing a good job and on the right track. On an even better note today Nathaniel ate really well all day, asked for snacks several times, and showed none of the toddler behaviors we have been dealing with at meals today.

Let's just hope the next couple of months continue in this positive direction with a weight curve of about the 3rd percentile.

On a semi-related note, how can one gain weight when you are as active as he is all the time. His newest activity choice is vacuuming. He cleans everything up (which is usually a lot of toys) and then proceeds to vacuum our entire first floor. My busy cleaning bee.

His Father's Son

I am the first to admit that Nathaniel gets a lot of his traits/personality/etc from me, but Thursday was another sign he may be more of his father's son. Nathaniel just turned 2 years, 3 months old and Thursday for the first time he didn't nap at all. Anthony has told me that he stopped napping at an early age. I really hope that this is not a sign that naps will stop soon. He appears to still need them, so I would hate to have him give them up so early.

A few other things that Nathaniel has been up to lately that remind me of his dad include:

- Constantly being on the go. The other day my grandfather said that he must have run back and forth from the kitchen to the living room "checking out the road" 50 times in the morning alone.
- Love of all "things that go". He loves cars, trucks, trains, tractors, daddy's transformers, etc. I hear Anthony had the same loves as a child.
- Memory for facts that others don't often know. Anthony's misc fact knowledge is much more misc than Nathaniel's at this point, however Nathaniel knows and remembers things that Anthony and I aren't often aware of in the environment.
- They are both total sensory seekers. Anthony seeks movement and oral input. Nathaniel also seeks movement and some oral input, but he also seeks tactile (touch) input.  On the flip side of that Nathaniel has sensory aversions to a few things, which he gets more from me.

I am frequently annoyed by some of their sensory seeking behaviors. However, I work on making our daily routines a "sensory diet" for both of them in various ways. Some days they are probably grateful and happy to have me as their wife and mom, while on others they probably wish they could do their own thing without me getting in their way. Last weekend we went to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. It was daddy's idea. They both enjoyed it and while allergies got in the way for all of us, we didn't really notice because it was the perfect mix for all 3 of our unique sets of sensory needs.



Nathaniel and the pumkin he picked

Peeking out from the train

Busy driving the train

Enjoying the "bumpy ride" through the orchard on the tractor trailor

No G-Tube Yet :)

I haven't posted in a while. Work is consuming my time. But good news needs to be posted.

Nathaniel was up 12 ounces 2 weeks ago, another 4 ounces last week, and another 4 ounces yesterday. He is almost up to his end of the NG tube feeding weight and at the 3rd percentile. We have gotten the green light to keep up what we are doing and monitor his weight weekly and go back to the GI in another 2 months.

Nathaniel is doing well otherwise. His development is changing all the time. He drinks his higher calorie boost supplement, continues to love his vegetables and fruits, and is tolerating his new herbal supplement drops three times a day. I also get to stop being the OT in a couple weeks when we go to the feeding clinic for an evaluation. One of my former colleagues will be assisting in conducting his evaluation, so I know he will be in good hands. I don't know what new ideas will come our way, but I will be happy to have someone else directing his "therapy". Let's hope the weight gain continues and our 2 month check-up keeps him at at least the 3rd percentile with steady gain and developmental gain and no tube yet again.

Here's a picture of our little man in the spotlight dressing up for the photo booth at Anthony's cousin Ryan's wedding a couple weeks ago.