it's a...

BOY!

Tuesday morning I went to the doctor for my sonogram. Since Scott isn't here, I asked the technician not to tell me if #2 was a boy or a girl, but to put a sticker with either "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl" in an envelope that I immediately sealed so Scott and I could open it together over Skype that evening. During the sonogram, the technician labeled things like the brain, legs, heart, ect. Then she labeled a picture "thighs." I confess I stared really hard at that one to see if I could see anything between them, but there was nothing. Then later in the sonogram, I could have sworn I saw a shot of fully developed little boy parts, but I also thought the baby's sternum was it's face, so I wasn't a pro at figuring out what those grainy images were!

On the way home, I thought about those two different images and was excited about the prospect of either a little boy or a little girl. I confess, I was decorating a Princess and the Frog nursery where Scott was going to do another cute mural with lots of pink and green and sparkley things in my head. In the days before the sonogram, I convinced myself (just like I did with CJ) that we were going to have a girl. Scott, was never detered and stuck by his voodoo trick that told us we were having a boy. I have lots of faith in my husband's competency, it was just a ring dangling from one of my hairs over my belly that turned one way for a boy and another way for a girl that had me not so convinced #2 was a boy!

So when we found out we were having a boy I was VERY excited. I wanted a girl for silly reasons, but I really wanted a boy for what I consider good reasons. I wanted CJ to have a brother, and that bond is priceless. I wanted Scott to have another boy, because he is such a good dad to CJ (he would be great with a girl to, but she would have the run of him!). I wanted a boy because I feel like I am a good boy mama, and don't handle little girl drama with the mercy and grace it would demand. And mostly, when I was pregnant with CJ, and I was praying for our family, I felt like God told me we were going to have a house full of crazy, smelly, wrestling boys. Now that is not my nature at all, so I knew this was God's way of getting me ready for what was to come. And I'll tell you...even at one year old...little boys can get stinky fast! And I love it. I love little dirty feet. I love my little explorer. I love watching him bang and play with cars. I love everything about having a little boy (except for the day when he brings me a bug...that I won't handle well at all!). So needless to say, we are excited.

I thought we had settled on a name, but as Scott and I have been talking, he is wavering. It may still be Ethan Spencer or it may be Elijah, or Elisha, or Eli, or who knows what. We have a few more months to decide. I'll let you know as soon as we have a final answer.

I am also still feeling well. My mom has been here the last week, and it has been sooooo nice. I got to sleep in two different times, and that was a priceless gift. She has been such a help. I have been able to rest and also get some projects done like cleaning off the back patio...not a fun or fast job. More on that later though. More than anything I am tired during this pregnancy. I feel tired when I wake up, but I have decided that is more from having a busy, busy, busy one year old than being pregnant.

So here is me at 20 weeks. I was actually 21 weeks today, so the time is going fast. It is hard to believe I am over half way there!

(Usually when I talk to Scott on Skype, I am sitting down and he just sees my face. The other day I was feeding CJ and when I stood up to get him more food he said, "WOW, you look pregnant!" He also says the shirt in this picture looks like his mom's sofa. Just a few of his observations to give you a laugh...)

where's your...

Where's your nose?

Where's your head?

He can also hold his feet up to show you where they are, but that just doesn't photograph well. :) Next to learn, mouth...

:(

I've have a sick little man. I hate, hate, hate when he is sick. He can't tell me what hurts or what he wants to make it better, and I just have to guess.

Monday morning CJ woke up and seemed perfectly normal. He ate well, played well and when I dropped him off at the gym daycare, he toddled off like normal into the arms of one of the pretty girls who work there. But when I picked him up, I knew something was wrong. He was completely asleep in one of the girls arms, and another girl said he wanted to be held and snuggled her for a long time. Not his normal behavior; he doesn't snuggle (for a long time) and he hasn't taken a morning nap in over a month.

He never stirred when I picked him up, put him in the car, drove home, got him out of the car and put him in his bed. I was hopeful he just needed a good rest, but it was more. He slept almost three and a half hours and woke up with a 102.5+ fever. He would play for just a few minutes and then crash. I think he was awake for less than four hours total on Monday. One time he got off my lap, walked over to his toy shelf, grabbed his teddy bear and puppy, threw them in my lap and held his hands up for me to pick him up. He was awake for a few minutes and then slept for another few hours snuggling his lovies...

The next morning, I was hopeful he would be back to himself. But, I could only get him in his high chair with his teddy bear. He barely ate anything, and never let the teddy bear go.

Then we were off to the doctor...with the bear of course.

Turns out there is a nasty virus going around. You have a high fever for a few days and then you are usually ok. Unfortunately for CJ, his fever has been followed by a rash caused by the virus. I took him back to the doctor today because he looks like he fought a red magic marker and lost. The doctor said not to worry (about CJ or my pregnant self), but he looks so pitiful, and he is still acting a little pitiful in the afternoon/evenings. So I still worry, snuggle a lot and do lots of walking around this house with my little man on my shoulder. Hopefully he will be back to himself soon...

long overdue...

A few weeks ago, CJ and I got to spend a week with his Aunt Krista, Uncle Richard and cousin Natalie. Nathan, CJ's other cousin, spent the week with his grandparents, so thankfully, his pitter patter of little feet filled a void.

We went because Natalie had surgery earlier in the summer and Richard and Krista both needed to work the week I came. Bless her heart, she is such a trooper. She had to sit up straight all the time, sleep on her back, couldn't bend over, and basically had to hang out in the chair in the first two pictures below. Thankfully, by the time we got there, she was feeling much better. Just a week before, walking to their mailbox wore her out, but by the end of the week, she was feeling well enough to go to Chick fil A and check the mail twice in one day. Chick fil A was only her second outing of the entire summer except the doctor, and the mail needed to be checked frequently because Natalie was getting a very important letter telling her who her teacher would be for the next school year. (She was quite pleased with her teacher by the way.)

We had fun playing with CJ, crafting, watching PBS kids, talking, reading and hanging out. It was a busy week, but also lots of fun. I love that CJ is getting to grow up close to his family. The more people that love on him, and he is able to love on, the better!

Here is Aunt Krista, Natalie and CJ...

CJ wanted to keep getting up in the chair with Natalie. She was so sweet with him...even when he squirmed and elbowed her in the chest where she had her surgery. He was so funny because he would bring her books, toys and other treasures to play with. It was like he knew she couldn't get up...

And he loves her soooo much. Aren't the cute!!!! At our house we have blocks that have family pictures on them. When he finds their family picture, he points at Natalie and just smiles. Such sweet loves...

Natalie took this picture of CJ one day while he was playing. I think she may have a photography career in the future.

And here is what cracked me up. This is actually a tea set I bought Natalie more than 5 years ago. I honestly never though my kids, especially my little boy, would get so much joy from it when I entered the Disney store's sea of pink.

CJ loved it! Notice in the background Natalie is holding a plate CJ brought her. And now he is pouring a cup of tea. Mind you, this child has never even seen a tea pot before. I have no idea how he knew what he was doing, but he was really pretending to pour himself some tea.

Then he would take a drink...

And what cracked me up even more is that he would bring us cups of tea also. There is also a bear he like to give drinks of tea to as well. I think the fact that he is already pretending these kinds of things is amazing. I never get tired of the new things he does.

So we had a great week, full of fun and lots of love. Natalie is doing great. She can do everything now with the exception of twisting. One of my night duties was to make sure she didn't roll over. She is a stomach sleeper, and sleeping on her back was so uncomfortable. I can only imagine she is enjoying her freedom.

budding artist...

There are many ways Scott and I are alike; there are also many ways we are very different. Besides the grace of God, I think this is a huge part of why we work so well together. We have to have common ground on the big things, but our differences are what stretch and grow us and what makes it interesting.

One of the things that I hope CJ and #2 get from their daddy is his artistic ability. I have none...I'm talking, I don't know how I graduated kindergarten I am such a bad artist. To encourage this in CJ, and really to let him have some fun, I found these crayon holders so he can color. They are a must for every kiddo who isn't ready for "real" crayons yet.

This was taken just before CJ bit the point off the green crayon. Now he will put them near his mouth and then shake his head no, no, no. From his immediate reaction, and the follow up reactions, I think he learned his lesson that crayons are NOT for eating. At first he just wanted to play with the crayon holders. They are a perfect size for little hands.

And aren't they cute? You can change the crayons out pretty easily too.

And here is the final masterpiece hanging on a prominent place on our fridge.

thankful...

WARNING: If you don't like looking at pictures of CJ, don't proceed any further!

Today, I didn't wake up all that thankful. For the two previous days, CJ has slept, all by himself, until 6:15-6:30. It has been awesome. I was hopeful that this was the new normal. But alas, at 5:30 this morning, CJ woke up. Lest you think he is really ready to get up, he's not. He just wants to cuddle with me for another hour or so on the sofa, and then he is ready to get up. So, I let him fuss until about 6:00 when he finally went back to sleep until about 6:20. Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I woke up tired, and the day didn't seem too promising.

We fell into our normal morning routine, but thankfully, I was in a great mood and so was CJ. We had fun, we giggled over oatmeal, and he tried strawberries at breakfast. This usually gets an upturned nose and a push of a hand away, but he grabbed the berry, was biting off chunks and then asking for more. More thankfulness from me! Then we played with Lincoln Logs and puzzles until it was time to get ready to go to the gym. I thought about taking him to story time at 11:00, but since he had a rough start to the morning, I didn't want to mess up his nap schedule with car rides (he is totally carcaleptic...it's hilarious). Instead we came home from the gym, and he was ready to play. The best part of the morning was when he wanted to climb into our bed and tumble. He would stand up, crash into the pillows and then laugh and laugh. It was hilarious, and I loved when he would stop to take a breath and cuddle me for a few seconds until it was time to crash into the pillows some more. We were both tired from laughing so much after almost 30 minutes!

Then he was a wonderful eater at lunch! I put ham, diced pears and lima beans in front of him, and he ate it all except the lima beans, but he at least tried them. This is quite an accomplishment because if any of these three things would have been put on his tray a few weeks ago, much less all three, tears would have erupted. After lots of hard work, he is finally doing well at feeding himself things that are sticky and slimy. Then it was nap time...

And if you are starting to get jealous that our day had been so perfect...don't let the green eyed monster rise up yet! He slept just long enough for me to eat lunch, and then he needed some cuddles. Since we have been working on sleeping until it is time to get up in the mornings, I still lay down with him in the afternoons if he wakes up before nap time is over. I know, it's a sacrifice, but someone has to do it. :) But since I was tired too, I really didn't mind today.

Then after lunch we got to talk to daddy on the computer. Even though Scott has been gone for months now, this little booger is saying dada...but no mama! Stinker!

After talking to daddy, we both needed to get out of the house. CJ loves the park, but it is just too hot. Instead we headed to the McDonalds that has an indoor playground. CJ had sooo much fun. As soon as I got my $1 sweet tea and we opened the doors to the play area, he was off. I apologize for the picture quality...all I had was my iPhone...

He had so much fun! There were two other little boys that were 2 and 4 that took a liking to CJ as well. As they were leaving, the 4 year old asked CJ if he wanted to come home with him. It was so cute. Then CJ made friends with a man who was watching his son play. Here he is talking to him...

And then it was back to the other part of the play area. While CJ was making a new friend, more kids came in, and CJ watched them climbing up the tube where he was playing before. They stopped to eat dinner, and he wanted to do what they had been doing. When we first got there, I didn't think CJ would get past the first pink step, but I think he would have kept climbing higher if I would have let him... (he's hard to find...look for the yellow crocks...)

And then it was time for a little more exploring. I got the hint that CJ wanted in the high chair when he started doing this...

I put my little monkey in the chair and he had fun for a bit...

Then it was time to go home. I originally thought I would just post about our fun at McDonalds, but then when I got home, I started to be overwhelmed with thankfulness. I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay home with CJ. It's not easy, and there are a million little choices like having a $1 sweet tea instead of a $2.50 McFlurry that make it possible, but it is such a blessing. I started thinking about all the things I had seen him do through the day, and all the cuddles and hugs that I would have missed otherwise, and I almost started crying I was so thankful.

Then more fun came. After some coloring (more on that in a different post), CJ found a shopping bag. It went on his head, he put things in it, he dragged it around, and had a blast. I am amazed by his simple joy and creativity.

But again, don't think it is all roses. I didn't blog about the time earlier in the day when CJ threw a tantrum on the rug by our front window because I wouldn't let him play in Connor's food and water. And here, the fun of the bag wore off...see it get thrown away...

All to grab the forbidden note pad from the forbidden drawer! There is a lot of discipline that goes into our days as well. As soon as he grabbed the pad, he looked at me and grinned because he knew he was being bad! I took a step toward him and told him to put it back, and he literally ran away. I chased him down, took him by the hand, walked him back to the drawer, and waited until he listened/obeyed and put the note pad back into the drawer. Of course, another much smaller fit ensued on the rug. But we all survived and CJ learned boundaries and consistency. Again, it's not all easy and fun, but oh so worth it to have the chance to shape his character.

Then my favorite thing of the evening happened. I am thankful I was there to encourage him and thankful I was thoughtful enough to grab my camera to capture it. CJ was playing with his ball and bat, and the ball went under the table where he couldn't grab it easily. It would have been easier for me to just grab it for him, but I want him to learn to do hard things and to persevere though them diligently.

First he tried to squeeze between the table leg and the chair. I wish you could have heard the grunts and groans that went along with this face...

Then frustration ensued. My first instinct was to rescue him, but the mom in me wants him to know what it means to work hard for things he wants, to know what Paul means when he says I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. If he never learn in the small things, he will never win the big battles. So I let him wage his war...

He tried again to get between the chair and table, but then as he was trying to grab through the chair, he had an idea...

Try a different location where there isn't a bar blocking the way!

Step 1 to victory...

Step 2 to victory...

Step 3 to victory...

VICTORY!!!!

Now if that face doesn't melt your heart, you are cold, cold hearted. He is so proud of himself because he did it. He didn't need my help, and he is starting to learn to persevere...even in the hard times.

And then I did cry, because I am thankful. I am thankful I get to be with him during the day. I am thankful that I am the one shaping his character. I am thankful I am married to a man who values these things as much as I do. And I am thankful that I get to go to bed, get up and do it all again tomorrow.

time is flying...

I am almost half way to having baby #2! What?!? How did this happen?!?

This is a picture from when I was 16 weeks; I'm almost 18 weeks already, and feeling H.U.G.E! When I cuddle with CJ, the little one gets smooshed, and he/she really starts kicking. I love feeling our little one moving while cuddling my big boy. Such sweetness.

One good thing about this pregnancy is that we aren't living out of what we can fit in a suitcase or borrow from neighbors for almost 3 months, traveling all over the place, or going from a country where the nearest Chilli's is at least 2 hours and $22 in tolls away to America where you can eat literally anything and everything you want in ridicously proportioned sizes. What this hopefully means is that I can eat healthy and I won't gain 50 pounds with this pregnancy. And besides Charlie's gyoza (which I LOVED while I was pregnant in Japan) which I can't get, I have actually been craving good things. This is a lunch I love...turkey sandwich with tomato, fresh veggies and veggie dip. YUM!

I still feel wonderful. I am a blessed pregnant woman. The only thing that would make all this sweeter is if Scott was here to go through it with me. These are the times I miss him most, but again, blessing abound. He will be home by the time #2 gets here, and will be able to take leave to be home with us after the birth. And he will be here for at least the first year of #2's life. To be able to see the entire first year of both our kid's lives when they change sooo much, is a blessing not many people in the Army can claim.

I have been putting off this update hoping that at the appointment I had on Monday, they would take a peak and tell us if we are having a boy or girl, but alas, they didn't have time. Note to self...don't schedule your appointment for the last slot of the day if you are looking for a favor. :) But, we will find out on the 23rd. I am going to get the ultra-sound tech to hide an "it's a boy" or "it's a girl" sticker in a envelope for Scott and I to open over Skype together. Once we both know, I'll make sure to let y'all all know...