Daphne | 2 Months!!

Miss Daphne is chunking out and getting fuller (her onesie is so much smaller!!).  I just can't get enough of looking at her adorable face.  Her little smile is contagious, I just love her to pieces.  

It is amazing how quickly she is growing and changing.  So hard to believe that her wee-newborn-blob days are over and she is turning more into a little human everyday.  Holding up her head, succeeding at tummy time, smiling, cooing, chatting and "telling stories".  I just love her to pieces!!  Some of her favorite things include being held, being swaddled, bouncing on the ball (she is clearly related to Evelina!!), chilling in the bouncy seat, sitting up (assisted of course) and looking around, bath time and getting massaged.  

2 Month Stats: 

Weight: 11lbs 10.5oz (61st %ile)
Length: 23.5" (91st %ile)
Head Size: 15.75" (94th %ile)

As expected, Daphne was not thrilled with receiving her 2 month shots.  I remember Evelina being a zombie and sleeping about 90% of the day she got her 2 month vaccines, Daphne decided she wanted to be fussy and held all day.  Thankfully, she experienced no other adverse effects.  

Now that the holidays are over, I'm hoping to have more free time for blog posts, including monthly letters for Daphne. I have been dedicated to updating the Mom's One Line a Day book for Daphne though.  I'm not very keen on traditional baby books but this will be fun to look back on each year.  The best part is, it is quick and easy to update every night before bed. 

Somersault

After months of trying, Evelina finally has the confidence to do a somersault all by herself. Chris isn't thrilled with it though.  Such a protective Papa, he would prefer she use a mat. 

A couple of other videos that I took over a month ago but forgot to post. 

Evelina putting her coat on.  Hallelujah to one less thing we have to help her with these days...and thanks to school for teaching her!! 
 

Daphne stretching. I just love watching her stretch in the morning, it is adorable.  And, man, she is so much bigger now!!

Fall 2012 School Photo

It's school picture time again.  I love to see the changes!! 

Fall 2012 - All Smiles

Spring 2012 - Scared of photographer, sitting on teacher's lap

Fall 2011 - Are you done yet?

Spring 2011  - When she didn't mind wearing headbands

Fall 2010 - Teehee

Potty Training Fun

Resemblance?

I see a little bit of a resemblance, do you? Of course, the hair is the biggest difference between our beautiful daughters.

The photo of Evelina was taken at a month old, Daphne's photo is at 6 weeks.   

Daphne | 1 Month!!

One month old already!!  Where does the time go?? 

Weight:  9lbs 4oz (45th %ile)
Length: 22.5" (90th %ile)
Head Size: 15" (85th %ile)

Daphne | 3 Weeks!!

Boy oh boy does this little lady like to be held. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but after a few hours of awake time and lots of gazing, she must nap!! She just loves to be awake...thankfully she is doing pretty good at night so we aren't complete zombies (knock on wood). 

How cute is she!? 

Daphne | 1 Week!!

At some point I will have more time to update the blog with some photos of Daphne, her birth story, how everything is going with big sister Evelina, etc. But until then, here's Daphne at 1 week old (yes, I'm aware she is 2 weeks today!!). She is just such a little doll. 

Already tired of Mama taking her picture

Baby Daphne

Introducing Daphne Fisher Ciano.

Born October 16th, 2012 at 10:16pm

8lbs 3oz and 21"

2.0 | 39 Weeks

How far along? 39 Weeks

Baby’s Size: Watermelon

Total Weight Gain: 29lbs

Maternity Clothes: Yes.  If I don't deliver soon, I may just have to walk around in my under clothes since my outfit options are super limited these days. 

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: She is still moving around quite often.  She has lulls every now and then, but they don't last too long.  Maybe she is contemplating her arrival during those times. 

Sleep: Just okay.  Thankfully, my carpel tunnel has been a little less severe at night over the last week so it doesn't interrupt my sleep as often.  My main problem is all the new shows recorded on our DVR.  I don't want to leave them there unwatched so I tend to go to bed a little later than I should.  I should be more responsible and get as much sleep as I can now....while I have the chance.   

Symptoms: Swelling/fluid retention, carpel tunnel in both hands, low back pain and achy joints in the pelvic area. 

Best Moments this week: I'm very happy that we actually feel "ready" for this baby's arrival.  I was NOT ready for Evelina's arrival one bit, but since we assumed this baby would be just as early, we made a lot of progress on our to-do list prior to 37 weeks.  Now it feels like we are just sitting around waiting (or at least I feel that way).  The only problem is that I've been inflicted with a baking obsession and feel the need to bake something new every weekend thanks to endless Pinterest inspiration.  Evelina approves!! Food Aversions: I'm back on an anti-veggie kick and don't feel like cooking one bit.

Food Cravings: Sweets. 

What I miss: Allowing Evelina to sit in my lap so I can read her a story.  The belly has overtaken the lap and she is often puzzled by it. 

What I am looking forward to: The birth of this child!!  What else does a 39 week pregnant woman look forward to at this stage in pregnancy?? 

What Else? Keep your fingers crossed and send easy labor vibes my way!!  Hopefully we will have some fabulous news to share very soon.  xo

Practice Breathing

It would appear that Siby was doing some practice breathing (and some other jerky movements) the other night during TV-watching-time.  

 

October

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November." 

Anne from Anne of Green Gables


October 2012 would be tops if Siby would just arrive already!!  



PS:  Anne of Green Gables is my favorite book/mini series of all time.  Evelina and Siby better look out. 

2.0 | 37 Weeks 6 Days

How far along? 37 Weeks 6 Days

Baby’s Size: Pumpkin - how apt

Total Weight Gain: 28lbs

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and I'm so over them.  I love getting new things in the fall and I'm jealous when I see other women in cute, cozy fall outfits while I feel dowdy in my maternity clothes....and sneakers.  

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: Lots, although over the last day or so, she has been chilling more.  Maybe she is getting ready for her arrival? 

Sleep: Totally sucky; the carpel tunnel has really had an impact at night.  I sleep pretty well for my first stretch, but after that, I am up constantly or don't even go back to sleep because my hands hurt so badly.  I am averaging about 5-6 hours a sleep a night, which isn't enough for me.  I wear a night brace and it helps somewhat, but not nearly enough.  My poor thumb on my right hand is the worst.  Man, it feels like it is going to fall off due to the frost bite/burning sensation that just won't quit.  Ugh.  I hope it doesn't take long to go away after Siby is born. 

Symptoms: Swelling/fluid retention, carpel tunnel in both hands, the return of some heartburn in the evenings. 

Best Moments this week: I graduated from the gestational diabetes clinic this week...YAY!!  I still have to track food and take my blood sugars just to be on the safe side but not more appointments.  We also got to visit with Siby again at 37 weeks to check in on her growth.  She looked great, was practice breathing with ease and, per usual, covering her face so we didn't get any pictures.  We did see some evidence of chubby cheeks and even a tidbit of hair (not much), though.  She was tracking at around the 7lb mark (60ish %ile).  We have no doubt she is going to be a bigger babe then Evelina was. 

Food Aversions: Nothing.   

Food Cravings: Sweets. 

What I miss: Wearing shoes other than sneakers.  I didn't have this issue when pregnant with Evelina, but the fluid retention in addition to my feet literally growing in size has not been fun.   

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our little one and introducing her to her big sis!! 

What Else?  On this exact day of my pregnancy with Evelina, we got to meet our little peanut in the flesh.  I keep trying to remember the day before I went into labor with her, looking out for some signs and symptoms that labor was imminent, but I can't recall anything other than my body "cleaning" itself out after months of being "backed-up".  Will it be the same this time around, will contractions be more obvious at the beginning since I have already experienced this once before, will I go into labor during the night, while I'm at work, will my water break at the start, will we have to drive to the hospital during rush hour, will Mimi make it to Ashland in good time to be with Evelina?? The unknown and the suspense is killing me!!  Gaaa!! Only time will tell.  Siby will arrive when she is ready :-) 

This may be the last 2.0 weekly post so wish us luck!! 

2.0 | 36 Weeks

How far along? 36 Weeks

Baby’s Size: Honeydew Melon - Not sure if I agree with this, I think she is much bigger.

Total Weight Gain: 25 1/2 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but my options are quite limited considering Fall in New England is upon us.  I've also had to wear my sneakers a lot more lately since my feet get cold with flip flops and I can't wear any of my other shoes :-(  I'm starting to wonder if I may need an entirely new shoe wardrobe after this baby is born. 

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: Lots and some of it is quite painful.  I wish I could see what she was doing in there!!  

Sleep: My sleep has started to suffer over the last week.  Luckily, Evelina hasn't slept in our bed for over 2 weeks (knock on wood), but I'm generally more uncomfortable, I sweat during the night like there's no tomorrow (even with central AC on), I have to get up and pee more often, and my carpel tunnel has been brutal at night.   

Symptoms: Carpel tunnel in both hands, right being the worst. I have been plagued by a new wave of exhaustion as well, some mornings on the way to work, I'm tempted to pull over and nap.  

Best Moments this week: Lots of progress on Evelina's big girl room. 

Food Aversions: Nothing.   

Food Cravings: Sweets. 

What I miss: Easily getting around, being able to easily get up off the floor after playing with Evelina, or having her sit on my lap to read books.   

What I am looking forward to: Making progress on the nursery.  Once I can get a few things done in the room, I will feel much more comfortable about Siby's arrival.  Of course, we are looking forward to meeting Siby as well!!  She will most likely arrive within the next 30 days!!  

What Else? Last week I had a little heart scare, made a trip to the ER and was admitted for an overnight stay so that my heart and Siby could be monitored.  I never thought that my next trip to the hospital would be for something other than labor and delivery, but this pregnancy has been full of surprises.  Long story short, my heart rate was about 180bpm for multiple hours and ultimately I was given medication via an IV push to get it back down to normal range.  We aren't really sure what the cause was, we only know it was related to a slight "electrical issue" in the heart which happens to many people, including many young people.  After multiple blood tests, EKGs, an Echocardiogram, and a couple non-stress tests from Siby, I was given the green light to go home.  My heart looks great...this was just a freaky incident that we hope doesn't happen again before Siby's birth (or during for that matter).   

I don't look much bigger compared to 32 weeks.

A dropped around 36 weeks with Evelina but I don't seem as low this time around.

Apple Picking

Over the weekend we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went apple picking.  We figured it may be the last excursion we have as a family of three.  Evelina really enjoyed it.  She was an expert apple picker by the time we left and even held the bag until it got too heavy.  I was looking forward to having a cider donut and thought she would love them, but she preferred munching on the just-picked apples. 

Click here to view some pictures.  

Evelina Tidbits

Evelina is D.O.N.E. smiling for pictures.  Maybe some day she will be inspired again.

It is amazing to think that Evelina won't be an only child for much longer.  It makes us sad to think that she will have to share us with her little sister, that we won't get to spend as much one-on-one time with her and that her life will change just as dramatically as Chris and mine will in the coming weeks.  Even though it may be a challenge for all of us, I know our hearts will be filled with more love then we can bare, and we can only hope that Evelina will love her sister just as much.  I'm looking forward to witnessing a beautiful sibling bond form, to watch them grow up together, and to see their love evolve into a friendship that will last them a lifetime.  That is the joy of having a sibling. 

With that, here are some recent Evelina tidbits:  

• Evelina is officially in her big girl room sleeping in a twin-sized bed!!  The transition hasn't been too difficult and she doesn't seem to miss her nursery.  The first couple of nights she would tell us "I scared", but overall, she is sleeping better in her big girl bed then she did in the last few months in her crib. What's even better is that she hasn't slept in our bed in over two weeks...yippee!!  Hopefully the stretch continues.  All we can hope for is that she doesn't go through a sleep regression after Siby arrives. 
• She is very intrigued by the camera to the video monitor. In the nursery it was hung up high, but now it is on the top of her bookcase where she can see it.  Since she has heard my voice from it, she has begun to ask what it is.  "What's that, Mama?" I told her that it's a monitor that we use to make sure she is safe in her big girl bed.  Now she will point to it and say "Keep me safe".  Too cute.   
• She associates us telling her that we need to go potty with us leaving her awake in her room at bedtime. It was taking her a long time to settle one of the first nights in her new room and I really needed to "potty" so I told her I needed to go and I would be right back.  She was so content in the room that I didn't go back and she eventually drifted off to sleep.  Now we use the same line frequently and it works every time.  She even told me last night that she wanted to go in the bed and said "Mama, peepee in the potty", to get me to leave!!   
• For some unknown reason Evelina all of a sudden does not like Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street.  Whenever he comes up on the screen, she will go over to Chris and ask for "cuddles" and curl up in our lap.  Once the shade closes and his segment is over, she will inch her way back onto the couch out of our arms. Strange toddler behavior I tell ya.  
• Evelina has no problem using the Baby Bjorn potty or the toddler potty at school, but ever since switching to a preschool sized classroom earlier this month with a larger and higher potty she is "scared" to go there.  She protests and tries desperately to run as far away from the potty as she can.  Her teachers and I have tried to reassure her that we will keep her safe and help her on the potty but she still wants nothing to do with the bigger potty.  Poor thing, maybe she doesn't like change just as much as her Mama?  I plan to get a toilet trainer for our toilet at home in hopes that we can help ease her fears for when we officially start potty training.  
• Evelina always wants to know where her loved one, teachers or friends are and she will ask you about 400 times a day.  "Where's Papa?", "Where's Mimi?", "Where's Auntie KK?", "Where's Grandpa?", "Where's Auntie Ro?", etc.  She will ask even though she knows where they are because we told her minutes before.  Many times, I will ask her where they are and she will say "Pittsburgh" for Auntie KK or "New Hampshire" for Mimi.  She likes to associate the dogs with the appropriate family member as well.  "Mitzy" for Auntie KK and "Tulip, Lily, Oggie" for Mimi. 
• Everyday after school she asks for a "lollipop", which is really a frozen Stonyfield YoKids Squeezer.  They are quite yummy.  
• She likes it when we open the sunroof in the car.  
• She is determined to put on and take off her own clothes.  She does a pretty great job with skirts, pants, socks and shoes but shirts are quite a challenge. The more independent she is, the better off we will be when we eventually have to get two out the door.  Many times, we can avoid tantrums if we just let her dress/undress herself, even though it may take longer.     
• At nap time and bedtime, she prefers if we read stories in her bed, instead of rocking in the chair.  
• She LOVES stickers!!!  
• She broke her first plate at a restaurant by swiping it onto the floor.  Oops, sorry about that Cheesecake Factory. 
• I took her into the American Girl store for the first time and she was in "baby doll" heaven.  Although, she was petrified of going up and down the escalator.  Our child definitely has some fears.  
• Her appetite seems to have increased over the last couple of weeks.  Perhaps she is going through a growth spurt of some kind?  She had 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at lunch the other day in addition to fruit/veggie...I don't even eat that much!!  I'm sure this will be short-lived, but for the time being, we will go with it. 
• Her favorite foods are buttered pasta with lots of cheese, tomato and cucumber salad with ranch dressing, corn on the cob, and Dunkin' Donut's munchkins, preferably chocolate, jelly and pumpkin.  
• I fear that she will only call her sister "Siby" once she is born and not use her real name.  I think she is going to be confused when we change her name. 
• She talks about Siby frequently and if I'm not home, will ask where Siby is.  Papa of course, always says that she is with Mama.  She wants to bring Siby places, "My bring Siby to playground."; and she frequently likes to hug and kiss Siby, "My hug Siby", "My kiss Siby?".  It is incredibly sweet.  Last week while we were rocking at bedtime, Siby had the hiccups so I put Evelina's hand on my belly.  She just kept looking up at me and smiling.  When the hiccups were gone, she kept rubbing her hand over my belly searching for movement.  I just wonder what she really is thinking about all this??  

Video Monitor Upgrade

Since day one, we couldn't possibly have lived without a video monitor.  They are seriously the best invention to hit the baby product market...EVER.  Especially for a control-freak like myself.  It just gives us the piece of mind that we need to ensure that Evelina is safe and sound in her crib/bed. In the early months it helped me check if she was still breathing or if she had escaped the swaddle, we caught her moving from lying to sitting via the video monitor for the first time, standing, trying to climb out of the crib and actually succeeding with a bang.  We would have never known these things to have happened with just sound alone. It has also come in very handy to determine if she is just whining or actually awake so we don't go it to get her if we really don't need to.  Seriously...the best invention!! 

Until a few weeks ago, we used the Summer Infant Day and Night Monitor. It has been adequate at meeting our needs but the volume control started malfunctioning months ago and with the impending arrival of Siby, we needed to think about investing in a monitor that could accommodate multiple cameras easily. 

After endless research (you know me), we decided on the Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 3.5" Color Screen. Babies R' Us had a great offer for one with 2 cameras which we couldn't pass up.  So far, we are loving it.  Some of our favorite features are: 

• The nice large screen
• The camera has the ability to pan around the room so if Evelina gets out of bed during the night, we can pan the camera and look to see where she is (aka, not in any trouble).  
• Adding the second camera was a breeze and is ready for Siby's arrival.  It can also hold up to 2 other cameras so if we ever wanted to put one in the playroom, we could.  
• It has a scan function that can rotate between cameras automatically.  This should come in handy once Siby arrives.  
• It displays the temperature in the room.  I LOVE this.   
• It has a two-way communication function, which has been invaluable for us.  I thought this would be totally useless, but the first time I used it, Evelina proceeded to do exactly what I said and was back to sleep in minutes.  We continue to use it when she wakes during the night and rarely have to get up to go into her room.  We think she is afraid of it, but not enough to cry or scream.  So until she starts defying the voice in the monitor, we will go with it. 
• It has a music function that you can set to play lullabies in the room, this may come in handy for Siby.

The only negative I see at this point is that the battery power isn't the best, especially if you have the camera on for an extended period.  I think this is common for most video monitors though.  

I clearly have issues or nothing better going on in my life if I'm this excited about a video baby monitor!! Oh well :-)

Clean Up, Clean Up

Evelina finds great delight in helping us "clean up" and she really enjoys her kid-sized broom and mop. She was assisting me after breakfast the other day while attempting to sing the clean up song: "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere. Clean up, clean up, Evelina do your share."

 

Pregnancy 2.0 Weight Gain

For a couple of months I was concerned that my weight gain was out of control with this pregnancy.  With Evelina, I gained gradually week to week, but this time around I noticed I was gaining in huge jumps...10 lbs in a month....eek!! Most likely it was due to my eating habits and gestational diabetes (GD).  Since being diagnoses with GD I haven't gained more than ½ lb.  Naturally, I was a little concerned at my last appointment, but the Endocrinologist said that Siby is still gaining weight.  Hopefully he is correct.   We will find out the approximate size of Siby at our 37 week u/s scheduled in a few weeks.  

Pregnancy Weight Gain - Evelina 
From 0-16 weeks: Up 3 lbs
From 16-21 weeks: Up 7 lbs
From 21-25 weeks: Up 3 lbs
From 25-29 weeks: Up 5 lbs
From 29-31 weeks: Up 1 ½ lbs
From 31-33 weeks: Up 1 lbs
From 33-35 weeks: Up 2 ¾ lbs
From 35-36 weeks: Up 1 ¼ lbs
From 36-37 weeks: Up 1 ½ lbs
Total weight gain = 26 lbs 

Pregnancy Weight Gain - Siby 
From 0-16 weeks: Up 3 ½ lbs 
From 16-20 weeks: Up 2 lbs 
From 21-24 weeks: Up 9 lbs  – What did I eat?? 
From 25-28 weeks: No change 
From 29-30 weeks: Up 10 lbs  – Again, what happened?? 
From 31-32 weeks: Down ½ lb  – Changed diet due to diagnoses with GD 
From 33-34 weeks: Up ½ lb 
From 35-36 weeks: TBD
Total weight gain so far = 24 ½ lbs 

How is it that I look and feel so much bigger though?!?

Ogunquit 2012

If you'd like to take a look at a selection of pictures from our week in Ogunquit, ME a few weeks ago, click here. 

We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfection and it was so nice to spend a week with Auntie KK, Mimi and Grandpa.  Evelina was in heaven!!  

We hope to make it a Summer tradition every year.  

2.0 | 34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks

Baby’s Size: Butternut Squash

Total Weight Gain: Holding at about 24 1/2lbs.  

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and praying that the weather stays somewhat warm until I deliver.  I'm having trouble fitting into any of my maternity jeans and most of my shoes (other than flip flops), and I really don't want to buy any more maternity clothes.  

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: Lots.  

Sleep: I'm still sleeping without the body pillow which is amazing to me.  I just feel like I would be more uncomfortable in bed with a big pillow taking up space then without one.  Other than Evelina waking at night and joining us in bed (we're trying to eliminate this), I've been waking up a lot due to my hands falling asleep.  It has become quite painful and will radiate into the morning as well.  I consulted Dr. Google and it seems like a common problem which may be caused by pressure on certain nerves from the baby.  I'll have to ask my midwife Midwife Mimi her opinion. 

Symptoms: Although my heartburn has improved greatly since modifying my diet, I've still had a few nights that I'm bothered by it. It isn't half as bad as it once was though so I'm not complaining. Also, the hands falling asleep problem is quite annoying. 

Best Moments this week: Making progress on the nursery and Evelina's big girl room!!  Ahhh...it makes me feel good.      

Food Aversions: Nothing.   

Food Cravings: Sweets. 

What I miss: Easily getting around.    

What I am looking forward to: Evelina's dresser finally arriving so we can really make a dent in both kids rooms, put clothes away for Siby, etc.  I want to scream at The Land of Nod right now.  I am in full blown nesting mode and their delivery service is putting a hold on progress. 

What Else? I'm experiencing a little bit of anxiety around not knowing exactly with Siby is planning to arrive.  I assumed with Evelina I would be late, but she surprised us and was 15 days early.  I asked my midwife what the odds of delivering early again would be and she thinks they there is a good chance of it happening again.  The latest they would let me go before induction would be 41 weeks dues to gestational diabetes.  Now that we have another child to worry about, my anxiety level is slightly higher this time around.  Where will Evelina be when I go into labor, will Mimi be able to make it down in time before Chris and I have to go to the hospital, will my labor be quick again like the last time, will my water break earlier, etc?  So many questions that I can't answer.  Oh the joys of pregnancy and the anticipation of the arrival of a new life.  There is nothing else like it really!! 

1st Day of School - Todder Twos

Yesterday was Evelina's first day in the Toddler Twos program at school.  The program has been designed to ease the transition into preschool.  There are 12 kids and 3 teachers.  She will be assigned to a group of 4 kids and one teacher for the year which is a great student/teacher ratio.  Her new classroom is very spacious and has so many fun activity areas.  She is already obsessed with the doll house (hmmmm...Christmas present perhaps?).  

She had a great first day and enjoyed exploring the classroom.  She only cried for a short time after we dropped her off :-(  She grew very attached to her teachers last year so it must be tough for her to be in the caring hands of others.  

When I picked her up, one of her teachers, Kathy, was changing her dirty diaper.  After all was said and done, I strapped her into the car seat and we had the following conversation:  

Evelina: My have a big poop, Kathy change diaper.  
Me:  Do you like Kathy? 
Evelina: Yeah.
Me: Do you like Amy, too? 
Evelina: Yeah.  
Me:  That's good, I'm glad you like your new teachers!!
Evelina:  My like Noelle, too.  

So adorable (she says "my" instead of "I" most times in case you were wondering).  Noelle is a substitute until a the new 3rd teacher starts next week. 

In other positive news, there are 3 other girls in her class this year.  She has been 1 of 2 since starting at the school so it will be nice for there to be some other little girls.  One of them shares a birthday with Evelina, too!!  

Here's to a happy, successful school year for our Bean, filled with lots of challenges and fun!! 

Last year's photo entering Toddler Ones

Baby Pool for Siby

Considering we have so many friends with birthdays around Siby's due date, including Chris/Papa himself, it is a must a baby pool be created.  

Let's have some fun, enter your guess using this link and we will see who the winner is come delivery day!!  

 

"I chase seagull!!"

One of Evelina's favorite activities at the beach last week was chasing seagulls. When she would see one close by, she would shout "I chase seagull!!" and then get up and go. This one had half a brain and flew away.  

32 Week Belly Shots

32 Week Belly Comparison

I couldn't resist a belly shadow shot on the beach

I hope...

...Evelina is this happy with her big girl bed when we start the transition this weekend!! Fingers crossed. 

Summertime Yums

2.0 | 32 Weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks

Baby’s Size: Squash

Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs. I've lost a couple of pounds and gained them back since modifying my diet due to my gestational diabetes diagnosis.  

Maternity Clothes: Yes.

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: Still a crazy mover.    

Sleep: Hasn't been so bad for the most part.  Evelina still joins us in bed almost every night.  I'm still sleeping sans body pillow though, the bed can't support, me, Chris, Evelina and pillow. 

Symptoms:  It is getting more difficult to move around gracefully with my belly growing and growing.  I'm more achy when I wake in the morning or when I have to get up to use the little girl's room during the night.  On the flip side, I have more energy, my heartburn has subsided substantially, and I tend to not swell (except when I sit at work for too long) as much ever since modifying my diet due to gestational diabetes.  Eating fewer carbs and more healthy carbs definitely has it's advantages.  Of course, I have yet ANOTHER head cold.  It is really becoming ridiculous. 

Best Moments this week: Our family vacation to Ogunquit, ME.  The weather was perfection and we had a wonderful time with our family.  It was so nice to get away and "relax" before Siby arrives.     

Food Aversions: Nothing.   

Food Cravings: Sweets, of course.  Although I still get to indulge on ice cream after dinner, just not as much. Eddie's slow churned is my BFF; carbs are so much less than other ice cream!! 

What I miss: Eating what I want...when I want.  My meals are more regimented these days.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner with a snack about 2-3 hours after each meal.  I can't really graze throughout the day like I once did.  

What I am looking forward to: A big ice cream sundae or slice of chocolate cake!!  After Evelina was born, all I wanted was an Italian sub. I didn't eat any cold cuts when I was pregnant with her and even if I did, an Italian sub would have given me major heartburn.  This time around, I want Chris to bring me something uber-sweet to the hospital. 

What Else?  I was all doom and gloom when I was told that I officially had gestational diabetes.  I thought it would be a total hassle and difficult to manage, but once I had my first visit to the diabetes clinic, I realized it wasn't going to be so bad.  For the most part, it has been pretty easy to keep my sugars in normal range, and surprisingly, I can eat more than I thought I would be allowed.  I can still eat sweets if I'd like, but everything in moderation, of course. I have to test my blood sugars 4x/day and because I often forget, I set an alarm on my phone.  When Evelina hears the alarm, she often shouts "test sugars!!".  She is too cute.  The only negative is that menu planning takes up a lot more of my already limited time, but it will all be worth it for a healthy babe.

32 week photo is on the way, I just need to find some time to go through some vacation photos.  

The Elephant

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one-hundred percent!”

-- Dr. Seuss, Horton Hatches the Egg 

When planning Evelina's nursery, it was a given that owls would be one of the elements of her room considering the cute sheets I found with an owl/tree print.  This time around, I was stumped.  As I surfed Etsy for inspiration, I came across a few cute elephant accessories and thought they would be perfect.  I often think of my late Grandma whenever I see an elephant.  She loved them, and had quite the little collection of the creatures since they are revered for bringing luck to those who possess them.  I can only hope that Siby will be showered in good luck throughout her life with the presence of her elephants.    

A few of the elephant accessories for Siby's nursery: 

1. A cute elephant plush/pillow
2. An elephant mobile for over the changing table
3. A purple changing pad cover with elephants
4. An elephant lovie.  Hopefully this will be Siby's equivalent of Evelina's beloved giraffe lovie, "Gigi".  We plan to name her "Ellie"...I know, super creative once again. 

Of course, this doesn't mean that the room will be filled with elephants. It is just a nice touch to make it more fun for Siby as she grows.     

First Pigtails

Peering out the window while looking at the ice cream truck

Evelina Sings the ABCs

I was finally able to convince Evelina to let me take a video of her singing one of her favorite songs. I've tried to sneak up on her but she always catches me and wants to see herself via the phone.  So, this time around I told her if she sang for me, she could watch the video.  Worked like a charm!! She can be so easy to reason with...sometimes. 

In the Buff | Part II

If you don't like viewing bare pregnancy belly, this isn't the post for you.  

At 30 weeks with Evelina, I decided to do a buff belly shot and therefore thought I should do it again for Siby.  I was also curious since I feel and *think* I am larger this time around. 

Based on the photos, not only do I look bigger, but I look to be carrying lower and I'm much rounder toward the top then I was with the petite Evelina.  All due to a gestational diabetes pregnancy perhaps, or just the fact that 2nd babies are typically bigger?! 

30 Weeks with Siby

30 Weeks with Evelina

Evelina Tidbits

As Evelina's second birthday was approaching, it was becoming increasingly difficult finding time to write her monthly posts.  I'm happy I was able to keep up with it during her first two years, and I know I will look back and be glad I captured some of her milestones, new discoveries and habits.

I would like to continue documenting her development in some way without it being too time-consuming, considering Siby is due to arrive shortly.  There are endless tidbits of information that I could share, but it would result in another full-time job. So, instead, I may start writing "Evelina Tidbits" posts every so often, similar to this one.  I think a "Conversations with Evelina" post may be in the future as well.  Who can resist cute toddler talk? 

• Favorite sentence of all time:  "What's that?" or "What's that, Mama?".  She must say it about 1000 times a day.  Even if she knows what something is.  
• Teeth:  All 4 2-year molars have appeared!!  Yay!!  That means, she has a full set, although the molars still need to push through a little more. There is space between all of her teeth and I often wonder if the gaps will close once her teeth push through more. I think its time she goes to the dentist.  That should be quite the experience.  
• She lives and breathes so she can have a Flintstones vitamin everyday. She calls them "ryans". If she could eat the entire bottle in one day she would, she loves them that much.  Her color of choice is purple.  If Papa gives her one in the morning, she will try to convince me that I need to give her one in the evening as well.  Little does she know that Papa and I speak during the day.  Thank goodness she is *usually* receptive to the "one a day" vitamin policy. 
• She now sleeps with a pillow in her crib which she seems to enjoy...until she slips off of it in the night.  
• Favorite TV shows:  Elmo/Sesame Street, Wiggles and Thomas the Train
• Favorite songs to listen too:  Hot Potato, I like to Move it, ABC Song, Wheels on the Bus
• Evelina LOVES to sing and has an endless number of songs in her repertoire.  She sings some better than others. A few of her favorites include, the ABC song, Row Row Row Your Boat, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Ring Around the Rosie
• She will shake hands and say "Nice to meet you!" 
• She is a total rock-star when it comes to identifying colors.  
• She enjoys counting and will point to things and count as she points.  She can count up to 15 or so. 
• "I peepee on the potty!!" is one of her favorite and most enthusiastic sentences. She will take every chance she is given to attempt to peepee on the potty and she has been extremely successful in the evenings and at diaper changing time if she has a dry diaper.  She tries soooo hard to make pee come out, it is quite hilarious.  Many times she "thinks" she has pee'd because she tried so hard, but her potty is empty.  Even so, she still celebrates.  
• In addition to peeing on the potty, she is an expert toilet bowl flusher.  She waits patiently to flush the toilet after Chris or I have gone.  Luckily, she doesn't flush until someone has actually used the potty...our water bill thanks her for that. 
• She will lift up my shirt and yell "WAKE UP" to Siby.  She also has been giving my belly more hugs and kisses, and even referring to "Siby" in some of her little conversations to us.  It is quite adorable. 
• Thank goodness we decided to purchase a big girl bed instead of another crib.  Miss Lina climbed out of the crib 2 times over the weekend.  She was in the crib jumping and playing around while I was tending to some chores upstairs and all of a sudden she appeared!!  WHAT?!  So I put her back in the crib and asked her to show us how she got out.  After our vacation next week, the big girl bed transition will begin.  
• She likes to tickle so beware!!  Especially bare bellies after she has lifted your shirts.  
• She is a typical, exhausting 2-year old, testing boundaries, throwing frequent tantrums, not listening to us, and causing mischief at every turn.  Even though she challenges us everyday, she is so sweet and caring.  A sponge trying to absorb as much information about her world as she can. Gosh, we love her to pieces. 

 Now, I need to get better about talking photos again.  I'm really slacking. 

Funnies

A couple of my fave funnies from this past week:  

2.0 | 30 Weeks

How far along? 30 Weeks

Baby’s Size: Cucumber

Total Weight Gain: 24 ½ lbs. Yowsa...that is  A LOT of weight gain for 4-5 weeks.  I gained less than 30 lbs when pregnant with Evelina so hopefully it starts to slow down a bit from now until delivery. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes.

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: Lots and lots, she can be quite the crazy girl.     

Sleep: Hasn't been so bad for the most part, despite having another cold and Evelina having to join us in bed many nights.  It could be worse.  

Symptoms:  Some swelling, mostly on the left side of my body which I find strange.  Although, this week it isn't as bad, perhaps because the weather is a tad cooler (well, except for yesterday and today).  I also have another head cold, a common occurrence throughout this pregnancy. 

Best Moments this week: Celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary!!    

Food Aversions: Nothing.   

Food Cravings: Sweets.  Sadly, I must stop eating them and must cut out my favorite summer drink, Arnold Palmer's....unless it is a sugar free version which is never as good :-( 

What I miss: Energy and eating what I want. 

What I am looking forward to: Completely un-pregnancy related, our family vacation coming up in a couple of weeks!!   

What Else?  I failed both the 1-hour and 3-hour glucose tolerance tests, so I am officially a gestational diabetic.  :-(  I had a feeling that I wouldn't pass the 1-hour test since I was on the cusp while pregnant with Evelina and I don't feel that I've been eating as well with the pregnancy, but I didn't think I would fail the 3-hour test.  Needless to say, I now have to count carbs at every meal, check my blood sugar 4 times a day, and visit the diabetes clinic once a week.  Just another thing to add to my list of to-dos everyday, a list that is already runneth over.  What I have to keep telling myself is that it is all for a good cause, to ensure Siby arrives healthy and preferably NOT 9+ lbs. This may even be a blessing in disguise for Chris and I.  For the most part, a diabetic diet is structured the way that everyone should actually eat, a balance of protein and carbs without lots of sugar.  So perhaps, it will help with weight lose after Siby is born!! 

First Pedicure

I've been wanting to paint Evelina's toe nails for some time now, but I always forget to buy quick-drying nail polish, and/or when I've asked her if she wants me to paint them, she replies "no".  

When I walked by the nail polish aisle during my weekly Target run over the weekend, I decided to select a couple of color options for her to choose from.  As soon as she saw the little bottles she asked "What's that?" and when I told her, she became excited about the possibility of painted toes.  She chose pink. 

I strapped her into her booster seat and started painting.  She was intrigued throughout the entire process and of course she wanted to paint them herself (umm...I don't think so!!).  I told her not to touch them until they dried, which was only about 2 minutes with the quick-drying polish.  She was amazingly patient.  
 
She just LOVES hers "toe nails" with a passion.  She is very proud of them and enjoys staring at them and talking about them.  Yesterday on the way to school, Chris was asking her if she was going to show them to her teachers. She proceeded to take her shoes off in the car and wouldn't let Chris put them back on until she was able to show off her tootsies.  All throughout the day, she kept taking her shoes off and saying "Mommy paint toe nails!!".  She is just too adorable for words sometimes!!  

I'm a little nervous to see how she will react when I remove the polish before applying a new color.  I foresee some tears in our future. When it was time for her bath on the first night her toes were polished, she was quite upset, thinking that the polish was going to wash off like the paint she uses for art painting.  Once she figured out it was on there for good, she was in a much better place.  Toddlers are too funny. 

2.0 | 28 Weeks

How far along? 28 Weeks...3rd trimester!!

Baby’s Size: Eggplant

Total Weight Gain: 14 ½ lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and I need to stop buying!!

Gender: Little girl #2!!

Movement: This little one is a mover and a shaker.  She was head down at my last midwife appointment, but at this point, I doubt she is in the same position.  She loves to perform belly gymnastics all hours of the day, especially at bedtime or during the endless times I’m awaken by Evelina every night.   

Sleep: Oh sleep, sleep, sleep, how I miss you.  When I can sleep for an extended time, I sleep rather well.  The pregnancy isn’t disrupting my sleep much, yet, unless my heartburn acts up more than usual.  The problem with sleep has been our darling, adorable, Evelina Bambina.  In addition to her 2-year molars taking their sweet, sweet time to erupt, she had a horrible cold, complete with a never-ending fever for about 5 days this past week.  To keep her comfortable, we (Chris is the rock-star) have had to sit with her in the glider/rocker in her room for hours each night.  She continues to NOT want to sleep in her crib, except for her first sleep stretch, and if we do manage to put her down, instead of rocking (which she demands, mind you), it is in our bed.  As much as I desperately NEED sleep before Siby arrives, I keep telling myself that all of this is great practice in preparation for a newborn.  Oh, how am I going to survive?!?  

Symptoms:  Nothing new, other than becoming out of breath much more quickly than I used too.  
Best Moments this week: I'm not sure that I know of one.  I feel like I am in a daze of exhaustion everyday so I can't focus on much else, other than making it through each day.   
Food Aversions: Does not wanting to cook count as a food aversion?   
Food Cravings: Afternoon sweet treat.  
What I miss: Energy and sleep. 
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound scheduled for this coming Monday.   
What Else? Praying that I pass my one-hour glucose test on the 3rd.

Monthly Belly Shots

I hadn't realize how skinny my face was at 15 weeks until looking at my 28 week photo. 

Siby's Nursery Idea Board

In keeping with the spirit of my type A personality, I've started an idea board for Siby's nursery to keep me organized.  Here are some things that will be incorporated into her nursery:  

Click image to see larger

• Robin's Nest will remain as the wall color, with orange, lime/chartreuse green, purple and brown accents.   
• The crib, dresser and bookcase that is currently in Evelina's nursery will remain.  
• We will be purchasing a new chair in brown, which will be a glider/rocker/recliner combination.  A recliner is a MUST.  Gosh, I wish we had one now in Evelina's room, then maybe I could sleep in it during the really rough nights.  
• The crib skirt will be orange chevron and this time around we will use just a white sheet and a white breathable bumper, no need to waste money on a decorative pillow-y bumper that has to be removed at some point anyway for safety purposes, we only used Evelina's for about 5 months. I also plan to have changing pad covers made in orange chevron and the green lattice fabric. 
• We will be hanging an abacus over the dresser.  I've seen this in a number of nurseries and just love the idea.  
• The ABC print is being matted in purple and the other print in orange to tie into the color scheme.  
• During my first trimester, I was obsessed with "The Hunger Games" trilogy.  Man, was it addicting.  Even though I was exhausted because of the pregnancy, I would stay up all hours just reading.  Throughout the books, the dandelion was mentioned and represented a symbol of hope for the main character.  On one of my many visits to Etsy, I came across a pretty dandelion art print in orange and thought it would be perfect for the room.  I also love the wall decal as well. 
• I still need to find curtains, a rug, a mobile for over the changing table, a fun pillow for the chair and other accessories for the room, but so far, I think everything is coming along nicely...in my head.  We haven't moved Evelina into her "big girl room" yet, so we can't start putting the nursery together until then.  Can't wait!!   

PS: The letter 'D' does not have any significance, I just would like to add the first initial of Siby's first name to the room.  We are still working a list of name choices that we both like. 

Siby's Nursery Inspiration

The network at my office has been experiencing some issues over the past few days.  I have so much work to do, but without the means to do it I've been "forced" to spend some more time planning Siby's nursery. ;-) I love envisioning how it will look and researching elements for the room.  I don't think our bank account or my beloved hubby appreciate the network issues, though.  Oh well, 'tis life.  

The nursery will remain in its current location and Evelina will be moving into the guest room, her "big girl room"...more on that another day.  The nursery will remain the Robin's Nest color that it is now, but I've decided on a different color scheme to differentiate it from Evelina's current room. After searching around the inter-webs and Pinterest (my fave!!), I've decided that it would be fun to add touches of orange, lime/chartreuse green, brown and purple to the room.  Much different than Evelina's yellow and pink with owls combination.  Here a a few inspiration rooms:  

Love this color scheme, although we won't be using gray.  The green lattice fabric is a must.  LOVE.  I'm also really drawn toward chevron, I wish I could sew so I could make my own curtains. 

Via Pinterst

I really like the tree behind the crib idea.  Brown looks great with the blue walls as well. 

Via Pinterest

Even though this is a boys room, I really love how the lime green and orange look with the wall color.  This is the same paint color that is in our nursery now.  I heart the orange chair, but we don't want to get something custom upholstered this time around and all of the orange chairs I've found are super pricey. 

Via Pinterest