28 weeks

How far along: 28 weeks today (70% done!)

Size of baby: 14.8 inches long, 2 lb, 9 oz. About the size of a Chinese cabbage.

Gender: Baby girl

Total weight gain: + 17 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes. :P

Symptoms: Another headache free week!! :) (Maybe it was the daily ponytail?!) Felt pretty good this week, just tired easily. I went to bed early several nights.

Sleep: I am not sleeping soundly. CJ has been teething, so I wake up when he moans, and then I have to get up to pee, and then I can't get back to sleep. Probably still averaged about 6 hours?

Food cravings: Girl scout cookies! I'm a little embarrassed to admit how many boxes I've eaten. HA HA. Also, Cheetos and Doritos...yum! And Cadbury Cream Eggs.

Movement: SO much!! She is constantly moving!! I think she is transverse? I feel all the movement on my right side, and my belly is WIDE.

Best moment this week: Getting to go to Sea World and the Zoo with my boys.

What I miss: Having stomach muscles. Getting up is becoming increasingly more challenging. I have to "push off" with my arms or get momentum to get up.

What I'm looking forward to: JT left today for Chicago, and I'm already looking forward to his return on Wednesday! ;)

2 Years

Seriously overdue...I meant to do this closer to CJ's birthday, but just like half the things on my "to do" list...it just didn't happen when I wanted it to. Better late than never, right?! I am DONE doing months (ie. CJ is actually now 25 months.) I am just going to say "he turned 2 in January" until July when I will say "he is 2.5". But I still wanted to write a 2 year post listing what he is up to because I know it will change SO much in the next 6 (err, I guess 5 now) months!

CJ wears a size 5 diaper and size 5 overnight. As much as I wish he were ready for potty training, he's not. Yesterday I smelled something and he was busy playing with his cars with a poopy diaper. We'll just keep talking about it, and we have a potty in his bathroom, but I'm not going to push it. Just like everything else, I'm sure he'll do it when HE is ready! And with all the other changes on our horizon with the new baby, we don't need to try to start this now.

CJ wears size 24 month or 2T shirts. He still has stubby little legs, and those chubby cheeks are deceiving because my boy is a skinny minny. He still wears 18-24m pants. Unless they are elastic band 24m/2T they fall right off! I think I need to buy him a belt! He wears a size 6 wide shoe. We basically have to buy Stride Rite because we have a hard time finding wide or shoes that his chubber foot will squeeze into.

CJ goes to bed around 7:30pm every night and wakes up around 8-8:30am every morning. His naps are hit and miss...depending on how tired he is. He can go without a nap, or nap from 1-3 hours. We usually attempt naptime/quiettime around 1pm.

2nd year molars are peeking through on the bottom and I can feel one on the top too. He has been fussier than usual and we noticed him biting grapes on them (must feel good!) He loves brushing his teeth (his dentist Dada is proud!), and we usually do it twice a day, but always before bedtime!

His favorite activities right now are Cars and Trains. Lining them up, running them on tracks, on the walls of my house...everywhere! (Oh and watching them on TV, the Mama shamefully admits).

I'm worried my OCD and perfectionism has rubbed off...he loves to line things up, and he gets easily frustrated when he can't figure something out (or when his tower he built falls!)

His personality is hilarious and unfortunately he knows it. The other night at dinner he kept taking his straw in and out of his cup. JT and I kept correcting him and he kept doing it with a goofy look on his face, and he finally said "CJ Funny!" HA HA! It was all JT and I could do was to hide our smiles and laughs! He really is funny. He is also so sweet and loving. He likes to hold hands, give hugs and kisses. He's not much of a snuggler, but I love it when he says "Mama Bed" (Mama in my bed)...and even though I barely fit in his toddler bed with him, I can't resist!

CJ is the pickiest eater EVER. I never wanted to have a picky eater. I try to expose him to everything, but he will. not. try. anything! (unless it is his idea). Hope this is just a phase.

For breakfast he eats: waffles, pancakes or french toast sticks with turkey sausage & fruit

For lunch he eats: Mac & Cheese or Fries and maybe a chicken nugget or two if we're lucky

For dinner he eats: Spaghetti or Hotdogs or Pizza with edamame or green beans

Hello language EXPLOSION! I could go on an on with the words CJ has right now.

• He knows more characters on Disney shows and movies, and Thomas than I do. He knows all of our immediate family & friends by name (even though we only usually see them on Skype/facetime or in pictures).

• He knows his colors: red, yellow, orange (sometimes confuses yellow & orange depending on the hue), blue, green, purple, & pink. We are working on white, brown & black.

• He knows some basic shapes: circle, triangle & star (and sometimes square)

• He knows his numbers 1-10, but rarely counts correctly all the way through without our help.

• He knows COUNTLESS animals and their animal noises thanks to our membership to the Zoo, Safari Park, Sea World and Aquarium (in addition to us reading books and talking about them!) Elephant, Monkey, Zebra "zeb-bee", Giraffe "raffe", Lion, Hippo, Rhino, Bird, Caterpillar, Butterfly, Bee, Spider, Bug, Koala, Fish, Nemo (Clown Fish), Dory (Blue Tang), Pufferfish, Octopus, Jellyfish, Crab, Duck, Cow, Horse, Sheep, Pig, Chick, Bunny, Dog, Cat, Mouse, Fox "Fock" (he hasn't quite mastered the "x" sound yet, and it sound more like "ck" right now...), Deer, Bear, Turtle, Snake, Frog, Otter and I know there are LOTS more that I can't think of.

• He knows most of his body parts: Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Teeth, Ears, Hair, Head, Face, Hands, Fingers, Belly, Back, Feet, Toes, Knees (he still gets shoulders and elbows confused).

This is a really fun age. Learning new things and new words everyday...it's amazing getting to see new discoveries unfold. It's a mix between me wanting to see him grow more, and wanting to put this time on "pause."

Down by the Sea

Our friends did a lot while they were here. In addition to Safari Park and Disneyland, they also went to LEGOland. (I didn't feel up to taking CJ to an unfamiliar theme park without the assistance of JT in my "condition".) So, on their last day, we decided to "take it easy" and head over to the California coast!

I love this picture of us!

CJ and his Dada, checking out the pelicans.

Our family of 3, soon to be 4. :)

My friend's beautiful family!

Cute little seal on the rocks.

It is still so amazing to me to be able to go to the shore and see these gorgeous creatures in the wild. This mama had just given birth to her baby. It was so tiny, and seeing it nurse was so neat.
The pretty La Jolla coast.
Pelican in flight.
We tried to have a "photoshoot" of CJ and KD. This is how it went:
Ha ha! They were both more interested in running around in the grass! Isn't she so beautiful?!

Thank goodness JT was there to chase CJ because he was running FULL speed!!

And then he would fall on the ground laughing. I adore his zest for life.

This was the best picture we could get of the two of them!

It's always so nice to have time with our friends and family who live far away. Military life makes it hard not getting to see them as much as we would like, but I think it is fun for people to have new vacation destinations every time we get a new duty station! :)

As usual, the time passed too quickly! I can't wait for my friend to visit again in a few months and get to introduce her to our Baby Girl!

"Mickey House"

One of the activities our visitors wanted to do while they were here was go to Disneyland. JT and I were SOOOO bummed to have to go there, since we can't stand that place. ;) HA HA. It was by far the busiest day we've seen there, but we made the best of it and still had an awesome time (as usual)!

On the way to Disneyland, my friend and I were talking and one of us said the word "cereal". CJ heard "seal" and started demanding "dolphin" and "whale" (I guess he thought we were going to Sea World?) So when we got to Disney at first he was upset that we weren't at Sea World. Thankfully seeing the Whale in front of the Storybrook ride managed to suffice and he eventually forgot about it. Phew! I told him we were at "Mickey's House" so CJ started calling Disneyland "Mickey House". Meeting Geppetto.

All of us in front of the Walt Disney & Mickey statue and the castle!
The kiddos waiting in line for the carousel. KD really enjoyed it. CJ on the other hand, flipped out and started adamantly saying "No" "No" "Down" so JT removed him from the ride before it started (or else that would have been a really long ride). This is the third time CJ has not wanted to ride a carousel. Not sure why? He loves every other ride we've taken him on.

We also rode It's a Small World, Winnie the Pooh, and Dumbo. (Our friends also rode the teacups but JT and I don't do that ride anymore...). JT sacrificed one for the team and rode the Dumbo ride backwards to get this great shot of all of us on the ride!
Posing for a pic in a Dumbo. CJ was yelling "CJ chair" because he wanted to sit on the seat like a big boy (instead of Mama's lap). HA HA.
Our family of three.
Probably my favorite picture of our kids that we were able to capture. (They are actually standing next to each other willingly. HA!)
Our friends and CJ (he's too busy watching the Dumbo ride to look at the camera!).
Such a fun day!!!!

The little princess all tuckered out from her first trip to Disney! :)

The weather was perfect, and it was so much fun getting to share one of our favorite places with some of our favorite people. We hit a little traffic on the drive home (typical LA), so we stopped at Outback for dinner. The kiddos were tired and so was I! It sounds funny, but sometimes I forget I'm pregnant...until it's too late and by then I'm exhausted! It was worth it though, what a great day!

Welcome to SD

Finally finding a chance to sort through all the pictures and update my blog after a very fun visit from one of my best friends, her husband and their beautiful little girl, who is one. I got a mini taste of what it will be like to have two kiddos in this house, and it was wonderful!!

We tried to balance going and doing activities with downtime/playtime at our house so the kids (and this preggo!) didn't get too tired! CJ and KD eating breakfast together.

Playing together outside in our backyard. We told CJ to pick a flower for KD and give it to her. Awww...the first of many flowers he'll give her? ;)
Stooping down to be on the same level.
Running through bubbles.
After a relaxing morning, we decided to head over the the Safari Park for a bit. But almost as soon as we got there, the beautiful sun faded and it started raining! :( We tried to make the best of it, and still got to show them a few animals! The mamas pushing their babes uphill.
When it started raining harder, we didn't want the kids to get cold/wet/any sicker than they already were. (They both had colds with runny noses).
Two besties.
As we were leaving, the rain started slowing down, but we figured it was better to be safe than sorry!! CJ was throwing a little temper tantrum at this point because he wanted to go on the "ride" (Safari Tram).
CJ giving his "auntie" a hug, and KD looking at him like "THAT IS MY MAMA!!" ha ha!

Sharing cars, and playing together.

Lunchtime one day.

Thankfully, other than that one day, the rest of their visit was normal San Diego weather: sunny!! :) More backyard play!

CJ learning how to throw a ball straight up, he thought it was so funny.

KD learning how to play tee-ball at an early age! :)

Typical CJ.
CJ giving KD their second flower! Melt my heart!
Hello down there.
The car was quite the hit for both kiddos!
A natural driver already!
BEEP, BEEP!

More pictures from our visit to come in the next couple days!!! (WAY too much for one post!)

27 weeks

How far along: 27 weeks (Starting today I am officially in our 3rd Trimester!!)

Size of baby: 14.4 inches long, 2 lb, 3 oz. About the size of a head of cauliflower.

Gender: Female

Total weight gain: + 15.5 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes

Symptoms: My ponytail fell off this week! ;) HA HA. First week of NO headaches in a while!!! :) Tired very easily.

Sleep: Still waking up in the middle of the night for an hour or two every couple days. But overall still getting about 6 hours.

Food cravings: Sweets!! Salads!

Movement: All the time, and I can tell she is definitely still head up because I keep getting kicks to the bladder!

Best moment this week: Getting to spend time with one of my best friends! And watching our children play together. I only wish we lived closer!

What I miss: Having energy!

What I'm looking forward to: Another "family day" on Monday. JT gets President's Day off from work! YAY!!

Quiet Time

Uggh. I knew this day was coming, but I was super hopeful it wouldn't be so soon. CJ is transitioning out of "nap time" but we are still going to have "quiet time" every afternoon (primarily for my own sanity). First he started tearing up all his books. So we moved them out of his room. Then he would bring entire buckets of toys from his toy shelf into his bed with him. Toy shelf has been moved now too. And the last straw was when because he didn't have anything else to "play with" he started pulling all his clothes out of his drawers. Sock pairs pulled apart, and everything unfolded strewn around his room and in his bed. It was just getting too exhausting trying to force him to nap (like kind of defeating the whole point of both of us getting a "break"). The pictures below show CJ getting into trouble: he found a roll of "stinky diaper bags" that he unrolled. He found a sheet of "CJ stickers" (that were meant for daycare) and stuck them all over himself. HA HA. Little stinker.

Quiet time is still a work in progress right now. The last two days he didn't nap and he wasn't especially quiet...but he was in his room for some independent play time. Today he must have been tired because he fell asleep (in a bed full of board books and stuffed animals) after about 10 mins of quietly playing. Bedtime on days when he doesn't nap is a breeze, which is another reason we think he probably doesn't "need" a nap anymore. I know this is just a phase and we'll work through it...until then, "quiet time" is always unpredictably interesting!

Back Pack

I don't have a picture to accompany this story (yet). (But don't know that I would share it on my blog even if I did?)

I HATE wearing a bra. Not just when I'm pregnant. Always. The only time I ever really NEED one is when I'm breastfeeding (for obvious reasons). So, anyhow, when I get home from our morning activity, the first thing I do (after a trip to the potty to pee) is take off my bra. CJ has started a new "game". He grabs my bra as soon as I set it down, and runs down the hall trying to put it on his back saying "Back Pack". HA HA. I guess since it has two straps, he thinks it is a backpack?! It is hilarious!!!

26 weeks

How far along: 26 weeks (I swear the weeks are passing faster and faster!!)

Size of baby: 14 inches long, 1 lb, 14 oz. About the size of an English cucumber.

Gender: Girl

Total weight gain: + 15 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes

Symptoms: Headaches (3/7 days this week), hungry! (on Thurs for "dinner" I had a slice of pizza, a 6 inch sub AND a hamburger.) VERY hormonal/emotional-I had a mini panic attack this week about how I am going to handle a newborn and my VERY energetic, rambunctious, strong-willed son. I know I'll manage but I guess the closer it gets the more anxious I get.

Sleep: Slept better this week. Went to bed "early" (before midnight) several times. Averaged 8 hours per night with 4 trips to the potty.

Food cravings: Salty and sweet. Chips & Popcorn, and lots of deserts!

Movement: Active little girl! (Hope this is not indicative of her energy level once she's born. I may not survive TWO "busy" children!! Kidding, sort of.) I feel her moving all day long!

Best moment this week: Watching my son play with his friends: giving hugs and holding hands. Oh and his first kiss from a girl!! HA HA. SO CUTE!!!

What I miss: I really could have used a glass of wine to "take the edge off" a couple of nights this week...3 more months!! ;)

What I'm looking forward to: My other best friend, her husband and their BEAUTIFUL one-year-old daughter arrive on Tuesday for a visit!! Can't wait!!!

Choo Choo

CJ got a train table for Christmas from his Nana & Papa and he LOVES it! The tracks and trains it came with are compatible with my old Brio train set that my sister and I had as kids. (So I don't know who honestly has more fun with the trains sometimes...CJ or me-having a valid excuse to play with my old toys!) CJ has gotten so good at putting the trains together (they are magnetic) and is getting pretty good at building tracks too. When he needs help he says: "Mama Hellp Ooo?" (Mama, help you?)

JT and I cannot STAND the Disney show Chuggington (sorry!) so we recently tried exposing CJ to Thomas instead. Thankfully for our sanity it was a HIT. So now CJ asks to watch "Thomas" instead of "Wilson." Although I really have to laugh to myself when CJ sings along and says "Thomas is da Cheeky Unn". HA HA.