29 weeks and a true story

No, this isn't the sewer story I referenced in the last post.  I am trying to convince Andrew to do a guest blog entry because he tells stories so much better than I do.

Buuuut, I have to awe my now 18th month old baby girl!  She turned a year and a half yesterday and we had her 18 month appt.  We have been rotating doctors in the practice since we switched to them in July.  Well, I now have a favorite, because her Dr. yesterday said Adalyn was, and I quote, " The most advanced 18 month old I have seen in my 33 years of practice".  Booooyea, my girl's awesome, but you already knew that, right?  He said he was most impressed by her social development....and the leaping 6 inches off the ground.  We are starting a new gymnastics class tomorrow morning and trying out the 2 yr old group.  I'm a bit worried that she won't be able to follow the structure of the class, but I know that physically she is going to excel.  Baby's gonna be famous.

A brief review of where you are at 18 months, Miss A:  27 1/2lbs (90th percentile) and 34" (90-something.  I didn't listen well).  You go to bed between 7-7:30 and wake up between 7-7:30.  Amen!  (which you say after we say a prayer before bed, by the way).  Your nap time is 1-3pm.

Your favorite food is pizza and you sure do love your milk.  You are just incredible, almost always smiling, LOVE to color (though not always on your paper), obsessed with Minnie and Mickey, and starting to speak sentences.  My favorite one as of late:  "cole, owtide, dada, bye bye, choo, choo."  Translation:  It's cold outside and Daddy went bye-bye on the train.  Smart little cookie you are.  You love those too by the way.  ;)

And our other baby girl baking in the oven?  She is doing well too!  I was waiting to do a bump update until after my appointment for my 2nd to last high risk ultrasound this afternoon.  Monkey Jr. scored an 8/8 on movement, my fluid levels are all normal, and she is measuring on track in the 42nd percentile at 2lbs 13oz.  She is a little bean, and it was actually her legs (measuring 32 weeks) that even bumped her up to the 42nd.  I just love seeing her on ultrasound and the tech always spends a few extra minutes with me to let me marvel at my little Monkey in 3D.  It's crazy to think that we will be holding her in about 2 1/2 months from now.   It's also a tad bit frightening that I still have 2 1/2 months to go....

 me?  I guess I'm feeling pretty good for 29 weeks, but I definitely feel 7 months pregnant.  My back is really starting to bother me, and I don't feel like my stomach can get any bigger, even though it has and it will.


For fun, I put the same shirt on for a comparison picture.  29 weeks with Monkey Jr. on the left, 29 weeks with Adalyn on the right:

How far along?: 29w 3days (29w with Adalyn)

How big is baby?: She is 2 lbs 13oz. per my ultrasound this morning.  Her energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath her skin.  And since she is growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), thinks are getting cramped in the womb.

Weight gain/loss?: +25lb and feeling huge, though feeling positive that I won't go over 35lbs (my goal).  If I could stop getting these darn head colds, I'd be able to actually work out at the gym!

Stretch marks?:  none...please stay away!  

Maternity clothes?:  ooooooo yea.  See that bump?!

Sleep?:  I've been waking up about an hour before Adalyn (6:30am) and that's just a bit annoying.  Other than that, still can't complain. 

Food cravings?: chocolate this week.  I can't get enough and I had to have a frosty from Wendy's this afternoon.

Gender?: Baby Girl.  Wavering again on her name.  I think that we are going to just go to the hospital with a short list and name her once she is breathing air. 

Movement?: definitely more consistent, but I can't quite say it's hourly.  It's time for me to start kick counts and that always makes me anxious.  I think we ended up going to L&D three times with Adalyn.  

Belly button?: still an inny, but getting more shallow. Also, the inside of a belly button just looks gross.

Symptoms?:  hunger, back pain, and frequent urination.

What are you looking forward to this week?:  The last few days of having Andrew not going into NYC everyday.  Life gets quite hectic on Monday and despite having a busy shooting weekend, I'm going to try and enjoy our last peaceful days together. 

babymoon/early anniversary/Valentine's Day/birthday present Vacation

ha!  Like that title?  Seriously though, our 3-day trip to Miami really was all of that rolled into one.  Most importantly, it was our 2 yr wedding anniversary present (2 months early), but we did celebrate our first date 4 years ago.  We would not have been able to go without the help of my parents.  Not only did they give us like 100K points so we could stay at the Ritz on Key Biscayne, but they watched Adalyn from Wednesday night until we picked her up late Saturday night.

It's too late for me bother with the order that these uploaded, but you get the picture:  I put myself on a major photo challenge to shoot differently than my everyday norm, ...and we had a great time.  :)

We have a ridiculously funny story to tell which ended with Andrew's head being down a sewer drain, but I'll have to leave that for a day when I'm not posting at 10:30 pm.

For now, the pictures.  I added our mobile uploads last.

I'm due for a post...

...and a bump update in particular, and I'll get to it tomorrow - promise.  Right now, I am feeling sick (yes, AGAIN) ugh and I need (read:  need) to put my head down and hit play on my DVR that has been recording The Bachelor since 8pm.

Yes, Miami was awesome and a much-needed time out from our daily routine.

Annnnd, I took my first long exposure shot (it's all moonlight, as it was pitch black out).  I didn't have a  tripod or trigger, and then remembered that I had to manual focus.  haha.  But I actually like the OOF clouds.

More to come tomorrow!

I will not complain.

Andrew said that I complain too much on this blog.  It's usually about pregnancy, but here's a post with zero complaining:

My Valentine's Day Mini Session fundraiser to support the Sandy Hook School support fund was a success.  NFL playoffs were great and Patriots lost.  WOOOHOOO!  And, to make it even better, Andrew was home most of the day today.  And let's not forget Miami in 3 days.  Aside from my Rhogham shot at the OB's office today, it's been a pretty awesome few days.  There, happy Andrew?  ;)

It's been a whole week?!

The background to my 27 week bump picture (27 weeks with Adalyn) is a testament to how this week has been.  INSANE!  I thought January was going to be a slow month for us, but nope.  Work for me is busy, and although I'm grateful, I'm feeling the urge to slow down.  I said that I was unavailable for the very first time yesterday and that felt great.  I also decided to make a pretty significant jump in my session pricing.  I had lunch with a very established and popular local photographer and she basically convinced me that I was losing work due to my lower pricing.  Perception is everything, right?  She also gave me the biggest compliment when she said that my work was on par with the photographers around here that I idolize.  "Alex, your quality of images deserves professional level pricing".  I can't even tell you how much I needed that compliment boost this week.  I'm feeling pretty down about my physical appearance and as shallow as it feels to type, how I feel about my appearance matters to me.  Getting on the scale at my OBs office didn't help this morning.

On the plus, I've hit the 3rd trimester and my ultrasound this morning confirmed that this little miss is showing zero signs of trying to get out early like her sister was.  And, funny enough, she is measuring only in the 50th percentile.  Totally average, but Adalyn always measured 2 weeks ahead.  I think this little girl is going to have my bird bones.

My 365 project is still on a role.  Here are some from the past few days:

It's NFL playoff time.  I actually love watching the playoffs especially when games are as exciting as this one and go into double overtime.

Adalyn sat by the window and wished for warmer weather so she could play "owtide"

She must have wished upon a star, because the next day it was 60 degrees out!

We had leftover spagetti for dinner. mmmmm.  I love having my mom back in CT so we can enjoy her meatballs and sauce.

And then, in true New England weather fashion, it snowed.  Andrew and I took the afternoon off to take Adalyn sledding for the first time at one of our favorite parks.  SO much fun!

A good yet busy week indeed.

27 week update:

How far along?: 27w 3days

How big is baby?: She is exactly 2 lbs per my ultrasound this morning.  Her lungs are going through major developments and she can now practice inhaling and exhaling (amniotic fluid).

Weight gain/loss?: +23lb and feeling huge.  I had this sinking feeling in my stomach today that I am going to put on just about 6 more lbs of baby in addition to all the poundage from everything else.  ugh

Stretch marks?:  none...please stay away!  O

Maternity clothes?:  ooooooo yea.  See that bump?!

Sleep?:  Can't really complain.

Food cravings?: Just starving all the time.

Gender?: Baby Girl who has a real name now!!

Movement?: still not consistent, and my OB said not to worry too much because of my anterior placenta.

Belly button?: still an inny and looking to stay that way.

Symptoms?:  hunger and some heartburn...or acid reflux...at night.  Is there a difference?  Either way, it's unpleasant. 

What are you looking forward to this week?:  a weekend full of mini sessions, two maternity sessions, and a photo lesson.  Next week:  MIAMI!!! for our mini babymoon.  :)

another late HDBD: 26 weeks

How far along?: 26w 3days

How big is baby?: She is now the size of an eggplant or 13.6 to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5-2.5lbs.  She is soaking up my antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb.  Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing to blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes. 

Weight gain/loss?: +22lb and feeling a bit like a linebacker.  That's all I have to say about that.  I saw one of my besties this morning at our bible study and she is super skinny for being 19weeks pregnant.  Made me feel like a cow.  But I've been praying and praying for her to get pregnant after years of trying, a foster/adoption, and failed IF treatments, so I couldn't be happier for her.  Plus, it will be fun to have babes only 7 weeks apart!  

Stretch marks?:  none...please stay away!  One of my awesome newborn clients from this week gave me her almost full bottle of this prevention lotion.  Hope it works!

Maternity clothes?:  ooooooo yea.  See that bump?!

Sleep?:  Not too bad, though I've been battling this sinus infection for almost 3 weeks now and the allergies to TX trees didn't make it feel any better.  I'm on antibiotics, but they aren't doing much.  I can't wait to be able to fully breathe in my sleep.  Andrew says that I'm snoring.

Food cravings?: none really.  I just like to eat everything.  Well everything + cupcakes.  :)

Gender?: sweet baby girl.  And status on her name:  I have a new favorite that Andrew needs some convincing on.

Movement?: Greater than last week and notice her most when I'm still....which is a rare these days, so it's mostly in the morning and before bed at night.

Belly button?: still an inny and looking to stay that way.

Symptoms?:  I'm wishing that I had time for naps these days, but Adalyn's nap time is my most productive time of the day for work...so I press on.  Other than being sick and feeling haaauge, feeling good.

What are you looking forward to this week?:  I'm having a girl's night to celebrate a dear friend's birthday Friday night, have a full day of shooting on Saturday, and family time on Sunday.  It's been a busy week, so I'm looking forward to some down time.

Christmas Take 2 :: Texas Style

We got back from Texas on Friday, and to be honest, the last few days kind of feel like a blur.  And while we had an awesome time with family and being off of "work" for 2 weeks, it feels really good to be back at our normal lives.  Adalyn did well on the flights, but entertaining her was nothing short of exhausting for Andrew and I.  Even though they can fly for free until 2, I'd highly recommend getting your toddler a seat if you can afford it.  We used airline miles, so that wasn't really an option for us, but it surely would have made things A LOT easier.  We were hoping for some warm air and sunshine down south, but that wasn't in the cards for us.  It was 50's and some 40's and mostly cloudy pretty much the whole time.  Every other time I've visited it's been absolutely gorgeous, so I suppose we were due for some poor weather.  It certainly didn't stop us from having fun though.

At LGA waiting for our flight, and she was not a happy camper when we told her she couldn't jump on the seats.

The paci works wonders for takeoff.

We arrived safely and Adalyn was ecstatic to find a "woof woof" to play with.

She had her 3rd Christmas...

And perhaps was a bit overwhelmed.

The rest of Andrew's grades came in.  I have a smart hubby.

She played with her Uncle Eric

Add "rake" to list of 100+ words.  I can't say that she likes them though.

Daddy makes it all better.

Off to Landa Park to ride the Choo Choo...with Melvin and Lilly in tow.

The swing has always been hit or miss with her.  

Auntie Kati was cold.

Melvin liked the swing though.

She danced at Grandpa KP or "pee pee"'s church service.

And did a little photoshoot on her 17 month birthday!

And dined on homemade enchiladas later that evening.

Cheers!

It was too cold to play outside, so we went to play in the church. 

Andrew and I played basketball and volleyball and it made me wish we had a giant gym like this to play in back home.  25 weeks belly.

Andrew and I went off to a friend's house for New Year's Eve.  We had a great time.  I made it to midnight NYC time.  

I started my 365 project the next morning.  1st image with my lensbaby.  I'm loving it so far, but it takes some practice, especially on moving subjects!!

Andrew did a little workout with Adalyn.

The next day, she had her first chocolate chip cookie.  Those squats will come in handy.

And then it was off to the most awesome children's museum ever.  I thought ours was pretty cool, but no, this one is awesome!!

And then she had her fist taste of sushi.  Clearly, she didn't know what to make of it.  She only ate the rice.

Then Papa and Gigi returned from Lake Tahoe and Adalyn had her 4th Christmas!

We finished the trip off right with Mexican food.

The flights home....the flights home....this basically sums it up: