32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks today...49 days to go!
How big is baby? About 16 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 pounds...about the size of a spaghetti squash

Source: countdownmypregnancy.com via Countdown on Pinterest

Total weight gain/loss? About 10 1/2 lbs...weight must be redistributing to my belly b/c my maternity pants fall off of me now. Even went down a size in the shorts I recently bought.
Maternity clothes? Uh yes. I need a few new shirts, in fact...getting tired of the same 3 or 4 that I have.
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep? Some good nights, some bad. Hip pain during the night from sleeping on my side is killing me.
Best moment last week? Getting the nursery more organized. Not done, but getting close. Hung most of the new decor I made, too!
Movement? Definitely. Sometimes like a crazy man.
Food cravings? Pringles, Cocoa Puffs, cookie dough, guacamole, Panera mac & cheese, sourdough bread and butter
Food aversions? No, I just get full really fast so I don't/can't eat very much at a time. Sometimes food just doesn't taste good either.
Gender? Another BOY! Benjamin Anthony
Labor signs? No, but lots of Braxton Hicks, especially on busy days
Pregnancy symptoms? Getting worn out quickly, acid reflux, Braxton Hicks contractions, some swelling in my feet after being on them a lot, going to the bathroom A LOT (every time I stand up basically!)
Belly button in/out? In
What I miss: sleeping comfortably, being able to work/shop/do anything for longer periods of time without having to stop and take a break
What I am looking forward to: My next doctor appt...going every 2 weeks now which means it is getting close! 
Milestones: Growth scan from last dr appt (at 30 wks 5 days) went well...he was too active to get any decent pics but his cheek looked CHUBBY. Estimated weight 3 lbs, 4 oz. but my belly was measuring small (28 weeks)
Bump picture: (not a great picture, but it will do)

30 Weeks!

9 more weeks to go!!

How far along? 30 weeks!
How big is baby? About 15 3/4 inches and almost 3 pounds...about the size of a cabbage

Source: countdownmypregnancy.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Total weight gain/loss? I think still around 10 pounds, will know for sure at my dr appt this coming Monday
Maternity clothes? Absolutely. Found some maternity bermuda shorts finally (why do clothing designers think pregnant women need to wear shorty shorts??) 
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep? Actually getting better. Fatigue is kicking in again, so early bedtimes are a must but I don't feel like I toss and turn as much
Best moment last week? He had his first set of noticeable hiccups (Chris felt them too) and I got the dresser painted and the nursery is coming together!
Movement? All the time! Big movements and rolls, less kicking--he must be running out of room
Food cravings? Pringles, Cocoa Puffs, Blow Pops (healthy, right?), roasted green beans, steak, potato salad, potatoes, Panera mac & cheese, sourdough bread and butter
Food aversions? No, I just get full really fast so I don't/can't eat very much at a time
Gender? Another BOY! Benjamin Anthony
Labor signs? No, but lots of Braxton Hicks, especially on busy days
Pregnancy symptoms? Getting worn out easily, first experience with hemorrhoids, acid reflux, dizzy/hot flashes and almost passing out like I did with Logan, most likely due to baby sitting on a nerve or vein, Braxton Hicks contractions, some swelling in my feet after being on them a lot, going to the bathroom A LOT (every time I stand up basically!)
Belly button in/out? In
What I miss: sleeping comfortably, being able to work/shop/do anything for longer periods of time without having to stop and take a break
What I am looking forward to: Dr appt this Monday--we are getting another sono to check the growth, getting more nursery decor done!
Milestones: Passing the glucose test, hiccups
Bump picture: None this time...

First Loose Tooth & 6 Year Checkup

Logan has had a loose tooth (bottom middle right) for a couple months now. He refused to let us pull it. Or even mess with it. It was so loose that it would almost lay flat when he pulled it forward but he wouldn't dare pull it, for fear it would hurt. But it needed to come out--the permanent tooth was already coming in behind it!

The day after his 6th birthday, it finally fell out, just not how we intended. Jacob fell on top of him and knocked it out...and then Chris couldn't find it. Anywhere. He combed the carpet, knowing that it was Logan's first tooth and he had a 7 month pregnant, hormonal wife. No luck. We are assuming he swallowed it.

Logan was very concerned about the Tooth Fairy not coming since he didn't have the actual tooth, so he wrote her a note:

I love that "tooth" is "TOF" and his sweet little heart.

Of course she came and left him 2 whole dollars! He told me that he thought "the tooth fairy was so nice because she left him $2 even though she didn't get to take his tooth."

Hopefully the next tooth won't be so traumatic and we will actually be able to keep it.

**********************

The following Monday he had his 6 year checkup--no shots or blood drawn or anything, so he was a happy camper. We found out he is healthy (duh) and we really don't have to go back for 2 years if we don't want to (other than for sick visits--which are few and far between with him anyway). 

Stats:

Height: 45" (30%)

Weight: 43 lbs. (30%)

Perfectly proportionate, just on the scrawny side. I always thought he was so tall, guess I was wrong...

Six Years Old--Really?!?

Last weekend Logan turned 6. I am still in disbelief--didn't I just write about his 5th birthday (and here)?! He had a great, low-key birthday party at his favorite park by our house, followed by dinner with the family, and a fun sleepover with a friend. 

Celebrating at school the day before with rice krispie treats

Chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday breakfast

Opening presents from Mommy & Daddy

Cupcake time--Pokemon, of course

Some of his friends at the party

Playing Pokemon with their cupcake rings

Logan and Jacob at Babe's for his birthday dinner

Beaks and chicken hats for the birthday song

And Jacob got to sleepover that night!

I found a birthday interview on Pinterest and thought I would do it with him this year. I have meaning to do one for the past few years, but it just never happened. 

Logan, age 6:
1. Who is your favorite person in the whole world? Reagan
2. What is your favorite color? Blue & red
3. What's your favorite TV show? My Little Pony
4. What sport do you like best? Baseball
5. What song do you love? Veggietales songs
6. What's your favorite cereal? Reese's Puffs
7. Who is your best friend? Olivia & Reagan
8. What do you want to be when you grow up? A magician and I want to go to outer space once
9. What is your favorite book? Scooby Doo
10. What are you really good at? Counting
11. Where do you wish you could go on vacation? Disneyworld
12. What would you buy if you had $1000? Everything
13. What vegetable do you hate the most? Tomatoes
14. If you could have one wish, what would it be? To get that Angry Birds Star Wars hat
15. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Chocolate--I'm so a fan of chocolate!!
16. Who is your biggest hero? Daddy
17. What do you like to do best with your friends? Play with them
18. What is your favorite thing to learn about in school? The ocean, but I wish we could learn about dinosaurs
19. What is your favorite food? Donuts and macaroni & cheese
20. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? Go to Disneyworld

Happy birthday, sweet boy. We love you more than you know and we can't wait to see you as a big brother in a couple months. I always tell you to stop growing and you always tell me you can't because you have to grow up to be big and work like Daddy. I love that you idolize your Daddy so much (and rightfully so) and that you are so sweet and loveable, always giving hugs and kisses (don't get me wrong, you have your angry/frustrated moments--we talk about self-control a lot). You are learning to read and getting smarter every day in Kindergarten. I can't believe 1st grade is right around the corner. I wish I could stop time (or go back in time) right now and keep you just the way you are. You won't have that, though, so just stay my sweet, funny, bright, creative little boy for as long as possible.

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks and 1 day 

How big is baby? About 14 inches and 1 1/2 pounds...about the size of a hothouse cucumber

Source: countdownmypregnancy.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Total weight gain/loss? As of my last visit 2 weeks ago, I am at 10 pounds...I am sure it will start creeping up on me, though.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Just bought some new Spring ones last week!  
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep? Not comfortable.
Best moment last week? Other people being able to feel him kick, calling him by his name
Movement? Yes! He has become more active and I notice him moving when I am up doing things instead of just when I am laying down. He is into full-on rolling now--a very strange sensation.
Food cravings? Blow pops, pb&j's
Food aversions? No, I just get full really fast so I don't/can't eat very much at a time
Gender? Another BOY! Benjamin Anthony
Labor signs? No
Pregnancy symptoms? Getting worn out easily, hard to breathe at times, itchy/stretching stomach, acid reflux, started having some dizzy/hot flashes and almost passing out like I did with Logan, most likely due to baby sitting on a nerve or vein
Belly button in/out? In
What I miss: sleeping comfortably
What I am looking forward to: Starting on the nursery. I have the bedding but the room needs to be cleaned out and painted before we can make progress
Milestones: Lots of kicking/movement, Logan and other people feeling him kick, lots of people noticing the belly more-- I must have really popped!  
Bump picture: 

  
Feeling huge but I'm all belly at this point. There is no telling how huge I am going to be by the end of this...13 weeks to go!!

He Has A Name...and Bedding!

This past weekend was a productive one for me. I went into super-nesting mode on Saturday with tons of energy, but since the nursery is still a mess (I have to wait for Chris to be home to help move furniture, etc.) I couldn't do anything in there. Logan and I had to run a couple errands and then I got busy once we got back home. 

BUT, while we were out Logan felt the baby kick for the first time (March 2nd). He had tried before but never had any luck. We were eating lunch and the baby always enjoys getting food so he was kicking up a storm. Logan was so excited to feel it and said "Now I have some good news to tell my class!" It was so cute.

We also settled on a name while we were out. I will randomly ask Logan what he thinks the baby should be named, and since we shot him down several times on Scooby and Logan the 2nd, he has since stuck with Ben (I think because he is on a Ben 10 kick right now--a TV show). It has always been in the back of my head (I prefer Benjamin, but I know he will be called Ben) and Logan just keeps confirming it. So there it is. Benjamin Anthony. It feels really real now. 

Back to my busy day. We came home and I put together an artwork file box for Logan since we seem to be accumulating ALOT of art/paperwork/report cards/writing samples these days. You can see it here at my other blog. It felt good to get that done and it was easy...I am just glad I did it now instead of doing it a few years down the road. That would have been overwhelming.

After I got that done, I did dishes and then decided the floor needed mopping (which I hate and NEVER do--it's almost embarrassing how infrequently it gets done). 

But that still wasn't enough. We had a tub of baby clothes from the attic that I had saved from Logan that was just sitting in the corner of the kitchen, annoying me. I sorted and washed those and then hung everything (including a couple new outfits) according to size in the nursery closet. It felt really good. Until I looked at the rest of the closet or the actual room. They are killing me right now.

To say I was exhausted at the end of the day is an understatement but it felt good to be productive.

I also bought his crib bedding today. It was on sale at Target and I had a coupon, so I got it for $20 off the regular price. I came home and washed it immediately, but it hasn't made it onto the crib yet.

I love it. It's the colors I wanted and no baby characters or bears or anything. Can't wait to get started on the rest (have I mentioned that I am painting the dresser/changing table orange??!).

BTW, I am 24 weeks today! Does that count as 6 months? I went to the doctor this past Monday and gained back the 2 pounds I had lost (like I thought) but that was all. I am sitting at 10 pounds right now and everything looks good. I was measuring at 23 weeks, which is good because at the last visit he said I was measuring a bit small (he didn't tell me the number).

So, that's my update. Feeling good (most days) and wanting to get ready for this baby! Spring Break is coming up for all of us (Chris included, even though it is a week after Logan's) so hopefully the nursery will get painted and everything will start coming together!

So It's a Boy!

On Monday February 4th, we went for the anatomy scan to make sure all the organs were forming properly and, hopefully, to find out the sex of the baby. We took Logan out of school for the day and made a family day of it. Logan had told me the day before he wanted a sister, but thought it was going to be a boy. I, of course, was hopeful for a girl but had been having the feeling it was going to be another boy as well.

Our feelings were correct. As soon as the sono tech put the sono-stick (yes, I am technical like that) to my belly, there he was in all his glory. If I remember correctly, Logan wasn't shy about showing the goods right off the bat either.

I will admit I was slightly disappointed but not completely shocked (even though I had only been able to think of girl names and only had dreams about girls). After the shock (and a few tears, in all honesty) wore off, I was just happy to be pregnant again with another healthy baby. Everything looked great and he was measuring right on target.

Look at that beautiful profile! He was moving all around so I am not sure how she got this shot. We saw his little hands and his little feet...he was showing us everything. Logan was in awe. 

It was a great experience to have as a family and I think it helped Logan realize what was going on inside my growing belly.

Now, onto the name dilemma. We have had a boy name in our head for a couple years now--Benjamin Anthony, but for some reason now I am just not so sure. It has been a real struggle to come up with a name that feels and sounds right. I don't want one that you hear all the time and as a teacher, I have heard just about all of them. But I don't want a weird name either. And it needs to sound okay with our last name, which starts with an M. I know, picky picky.

So here is my list:

Benjamin Anthony
Blake Anthony
Beckett Anthony
Maddox Anthony or Maddox Alexander
Jack--**Logan's latest suggestion since we can't name him Logan II**--but I know ALOT of Jack's/Jackson's
Landon Anthony
Lucas Anthony


But NONE of them are just hitting me, like I love them. I look everywhere for names, TV shows, books, everywhere. I know I have time, but it is driving me crazy because we knew Logan's name from the very beginning and had no questions about it. The girl name we had picked out was Landry and others have told me that could be a boy's name but I just can't get it out of my head as a girl name...am I wrong? I love the name but now I just associate it with a girl.

So, thoughts? Others I should add to the list?