Here we go again!

Baby #2 is now being baked in the oven and I am in complete shock and denial about how fast this has all happened!  Just yesterday, I was pregnant with Ari and now my little baby is 1 1/2 years old next week!

I have been a complete slacker about blogging the past 6 or so months cause this insanely cute and crazy on the go toddler keeps me busy... but gotta get back to it in order to record what will most likely be my last experience growing a little miracle... and I want June Bug (the official nick name despite being due early Dec.) to have a record of how he/she came about just like Ariana does.

So far I am feeling good.  The symptoms came early and harder than before.  I had a feeling about 2-3 days after ovulation that something had happened (though Hubby makes fun of me for saying this) because of the stretching, achy/burning cramps and heavy feeling in my lower abs.  Its kinda like the day after feeling of doing to many lower ab crunches.  Then there was some stretching discomfort on me sides.  It was even very difficult to sit on the floor by Ariana's bed at night while she fell a sleep hugging on my hand like we normally do.  The biggest tip off was the constipation that started that first week which only happens to this extent when I was pregnant. About 8 DPO, the nausea started and came in phases.  Then the ridiculous increase in hunger after that.  Oh and did I mention the gas?  At least this time I am not in the office trying to pinch it off in discomfort LOL!

All the time I shared this with Hubbs, I knew he was thinking I was crazy and my mind was playing tricks on me.  I stupidly went in for a blood test around 7 DPO thinking since blood tests were so much more sensitive, they could catch this early and start the insurance paperwork sooner.  Nope!  And that only fueled Hubb's disbelief in my "symptoms."  I even doubted my self after that... but the next day, the cramps were VERY real and so was the nausea so I decided to wait a couple days and pee on a stick (POAS) again.  Sure enough, on 10 DPO there was a VERY faint, gotta squint in the right lighting line.  The next day was a tiny bit darker... but still so very faint that this just added to Hubb's thinking that I am going crazy imagining things! Hahaha  Warned him that he will be eating his words in a couple days!  Mean time, I was fatigued and crampy and he still took pity on his delusional wife by cleaning up after dinner and helping out with Ari a ton. But I could sense his thoughts of "Damn she's milking this for all it's worth!"

Well, the morning of 3/28/2011, the word "Pregnant" appeared on the Clear Blue easy digital!  Now he could celebrate and pat himself on the back for being 2 for 2 with bombs on target!  The test with the double lines was still very faint and the digital took forever to come up with a result... but there the words were with no squinting needed!  Hubbs got us some Cheesecake Factory that evening to celebrate.  :o)

Again, I am having to deal with the multiple back and forth drives to Beale AFB to get the blood work confirmation and referral.  Its still the same painfully slow and time drain as the last time.  I go back on Friday to pee in a cup again cause my HGC levels were so low (barely pregnant they said) because I tested so early.  File the paper work and off we go to the OB in 6 weeks.

Hubbs leave for Altus in 2 weeks and will be away for 4 months.  I will be half way through this pregnancy by the time he gets home... then we're packing up and moving to Travis AFB.  So needless to say, there's a lot of exciting changes on the horizon!  Here's hoping this pregnancy goes as smoothly as the last and we soar through all these changes with minimal turbulence!

My last night with my "baby"

Its the eve of your birthday, Ariana, and I can't help but marvel at this passing year. It has been the most challenging, surprising, joyful, funny, warm and loving year of my life! This time last year I was counting my contractions and trying to get some rest while your father slept so soundly despite the fact that our lives were about to radically change forever.

Ariana, in the past year you have taught me more about myself and about what it means to love. Thank you for blessing my life with your joyful spirit. Watching you grow into a young lady is such a privileged and a blessing. I pray you find an amazing spouse one day to share this blessed journey with and then you will truly know how deep my love and awe of you truly is. I love you my stinker-pie.

~Momma

Bad blogger...

I suck at finding time to blog since this baby is so active and not napping as much which leave little time for showers and housework let alone blogging! I meant to keep up with weekly post more so for recording my memories of my precious stinkerpie... but I have been preoccupied.

Now that my Ari is turning 1 in a week and a half, :::gasp::: I need to jot down stuff before my mommy brain forgets them permanently! At least there's record of my Facebook posts to refer to LOL!

She's still has not taken her first steps sans holding onto something. The Tues after Labor day I saw her stand up from sitting without support for the first time and it blew me away. She was in the center of her PnP while we were getting reading in the morning and hubbs was home for the week on vaca. "Awww look at you!" is how I responded ;-) She loves walking up and down the hall withe her toy box on wheels (best $15 bucks spent at Target for toys LOL) and sometime tries to run me down! She knows it as her "vroom vroom" cause that's the sound it makes duhhhh! The cutest thing is periodic stops just to shake what her mama gave her, hands up like she's snapping her fingers and then bounce to the music playing from her room. It makes me smile and laugh every time! She has such a happy expresion full of joy and pride in her emerging abilities... like Mama... look what I can do! I just want to bottle up these moments for when she becomes a testy teen!

She stands a lot more and for longer periods now and can even squat to pick up things without support so walking is near... though I have said this for over a month now.

She has learned to give kisses the past couple weeks rather than nose bites. At first, she only gave love to her Papa but now I can ask for a kiss and she gives them but can be stingy depending on her mood or she already figured out supply & demand makes them more valuable!

I have 2 more weeks of bed-sharing cuddles and then the hard work of getting her to sleep in her crib begins. I am looking forward to getting my space back and some time to sleep on my tummy again but not looking forward to the couple weeks of tears (from her and me) trying to gently into her own bed. This will not be fun!

9 Month Checkup... not fun and possibly worrisom

Ariana has fallen off the growth chart since her 6 month checkup and is in bellow the 5th percentile for weight and now for length too. She weighed in at 14 lbs 8.5 oz. We went to a new doc who was WORLDS better as far as giving info before having to ask, not feeling rushed and the nurse who weighed and measured Ari was so sweet and gentile with her unlike the crotchity old woman at our previous Peds office! They were thorough and asked more questions to make sure she's meeting milestones and about her nutrition. So we had to get some blood work done to see if their is any thyroid issues that is slowing down her growth or any other possibilities. She will be getting vitamin D supplements (cause BM isn't a good source for it) and they will check her iron for possible anemia, Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and others. We get the results by Tues so I am trying not to worry and freak out until there is something concrete to worry about. She ahead on most milestones and so smart signing 2 words already and understands much more than she can communicate back yet... so we think and hope she's just got the little Filipina gene but is doing stellar with her cognitive and motor development.

THE WORST was having her blood drawn and having to hold her down while she is screaming in pain while they find the vein. I sobbed the entire time and kept saying "I'm sorry sweetie, it's almost over." I need to work on not getting sad in front of her in the future cause she needs me to be strong for her but it breaks my heart seeing her in pain and scared cause she doesn't understand what's going on and why Momma isn't stopping the pain this stranger was inflicting on her. The look in her scared tear filled eyes broke my heart. Not being able to save her from the pain had me in tears. I love this little girl beyond words could ever express.

Negligent Blogger!

Totally have not made time to blog for the past 3-4 months! Ariana is just so active and I am trying to keep her busy and find ways to do the daily grind of laundry and other wifely tasks, taking pictures with my new camera for a friend who just had a baby and so on. So now that the little booger is better about napping and for longer stretches, I am hoping to get caught up again. This is just for me to journal her milestones and for me to be able to chronicle my feelings on this journey of motherhood.

We are nearing 9 months of age next week and cannot believe how much has changed in the past month alone! Ariana started being able to sit unassisted at 5 months, belly crawling at 6 months, full crawling at 6.5 months pulling herself to stand at 7.5 months, cruising along furniture at 8 months and some change. She now doesn't need much to lean on to get to standing and is tempting fate by trying to let go of the support for split seconds to try to reach for something or get to me if I am near by... she will be a walker before 10 months old!

We found her first tooth poke through on the 10th of June. It is the front bottom right (when looking at her) tooth and the one to the left poked through around a week later. Not much change in crabbiness leading up to the teeth appearing except lots more drool and chewing on fingers a bunch. I have been clamped down on while breast feeding a couple time which is very no pleasant to say the least! Actually, she gave me a grin then proceeded to chomp down and pull her head back as if my nips were an elastic band and then released! Little stinker! Tried not to make too much of a reaction except to say "NO BITE! Or else no more milk!" so that she doesn't think it's funny seeing mommy get riled up. Hope she doesn't make a habit of it!

Off to get ready for our Hawaii trip for the 4th of July weekend. Flying with a very active almost 9 monther should be an adventure!

Moments I Treasure...

Last night, Ariana was getting sleepy and so i sat back on the couch after nursing her and she just placed her cheek om my breast and laid there smiling at hubbs listing to my heart beat.

This afternoon, we were sitting on the floor, she was playing and I was on the laptop. Ari got tired and let me know by grabbing my arm, pulling it to her to wrap around her then buried her face in my upper arm.

A simple smile or sweet giggle makes even the toughest day a priceless gift.

6 Months Old Already?

I have been good about blogging because I have had my hands full. How is it that my wee baby is 6 months old already? I will try to update with milestones and pics this weekend!