We are getting pretty darn close now.  We still have nothing for baby #2.  We really need to find a dresser for her.  We decided to use the pack-n-play as her crib for the time being since Tyler is sleeping so well in the crib now.  He hasn't yet attempted to climb out (which is weird since he climbs everything else), so we are good for now.  We're going to put the PNP and dresser in our room until it's time to transition Tyler into the new room.

I've also decided to try for a VBAC.  I can still change my mind, but at least this way, I have the option of changing my mind.  Because of the 4th of July holiday, they would have to deliver me at around 38-38.5 weeks if I were to have a scheduled c-section.  I would like the baby as close to fully baked as possible.  So now I will be allowed to go until 41 weeks before they do a scheduled c-section (they will not induce for VBAC's since it increases the risk of uterine rupture).  And if I do go into labor, I can decide at any point if I want the c-section instead.

I've switched OB's and I really like the new guy.  He doesn't follow the laborist model (which is where you show up at the hospital and anyone from a rotating team can deliver you) which is what they had at HUP.   I had never met the woman who performed my c-section, and I had only met the attending who did the shift before one time.  Basically if I deliver during the day/evening, my OB will come in and deliver me. His office is at the hospital, so he's close by. At night, they do have a rotating team of 6 doctors, but that's understandable...they do have to sleep sometime!

I was impressed by the level of attention he paid to certain details.  Since I"m allergic to amoxicillin and have never tried any other penicillin/beta-lactam antibiotic, he is going to run a cultures and sensitivities panel on me to check what antibiotics would work the best on me.  I ended up needing antibiotics with Tyler because I spiked a fever and they just ran whatever the second line antibiotic was (first line antibiotic is a beta-lactam).  They had no idea whether or not I could have been resisitant to those two.  He also is going to schedule me for a 38 week ultrasound, which is not normally done. But he wants to make sure I'm not harboring a 15 pound baby and trying for a VBAC.

I have gained about 20 pounds so far, which is MUCH less than what I gained with Tyler.  I think at this point with Tyler, I was close to +40 pounds.  I did nothing but eat and sleep when I was pregnant with him.  Chasing after a super active toddler really keeps that weight down.  I think by 40 weeks, I should be at the normal 25 pound weight gain.

I guess I should start thinking about packing my hospital bag.  I remember I brought soooo much stuff last time and didn't use anything.

I've been reading a couple of disciplining books to get an idea of what might work with BB.   I read 1-2-3 Magic, which a lot of people recommended.  It's the whole thing where you count to 3 and if they don't obey by 3, then they get time out (or whatever form of punishment you decide on).  The exception is that if it's something that would be dangerous, you skip automatically to 3...they don't get second chances.   They recommend starting this at 2 years...and today I've realized why.  At 19 months,  BB totally does not get the whole counting thing.  Usually, we just tell him not to do something and if he continues, we'll take it away or physically force him to do the correct thing.  Today, I tried to go for the more advanced technique.

We've been teaching him numbers and we show him how to count on his fingers.  He only knows 1 and 2...and everything after that is 2.

So today, he stands up on the dining room chair, which we don't allow.  So I decided to try the 1-2-3 thing.  I told him to sit down..and then counted to 2.  Before I could do anything further, he looks straight at me (while still standing) and announces in his cute, little baby voice, "ONE.....TWO...." all the while showing me the corresponding fingers.

PB and I had to run into another room to crack up.  I guess we just have to skip to 3 for everything hahaha. 

I'm about a week early with this, but I won't have time next weekend to do it or for the few weeks afterwards since all my free time will be spent on my stupid gardens.

He can climb onto our dining room chairs now.  Which means, we can't keep anything on the dining room table (where we used to keep our phone and mail and random stuff).  He also hates his high chair now that he can sit on the adult dining room chairs.  He usually just kneels to reach the table.  The bad thing is that we don't have much control over him when he sits there. He gets down when he wants to...and he doesn't always pay attention to where the chair ends.  We usually have to force him into the high chair --> tantrum.

He is VERY opinionated now.  He has a sense of what is his and is very territorial.  We went to the pet store and he wouldn't let me look into the same fish tank as him.  I had to look into the next one over like a loser.  Same with the benches at the park. Once he climbs onto one, I can't sit on the same bench...I have to sit on the one next to his.  He is very tantrum prone now...it's drama drama drama in the house.

He does NOT sit well in the shopping cart at all anymore.  He used to be fantastic in the shopping cart.  Would sit there and be entertained by whatever groceries I hand him to look at.  A little snack would get us through any fussiness.  Now it's a constant battle.  He takes of his shoes and throws them, he can reach into the back and will take stuff out, he never keeps his legs in the leg holes...it's always up on the seat, and whine whine whine the entire time.

He is finally sleeping better.  We had a week or two of perfect, no crying sleep.  But these past few days, he started crying again when we put him down.  Gah.  But it's not for nearly as long as it used to be. Last night was just under 10 minutes and tonight was maybe 1-2 minutes.  I'm guessing it's probably the weather since it's been HOT these past few days.  We turned his ceiling fan on, but he prefers it to be cool when he sleeps.  I'm hoping it's just the weather.

He is finally talking.  He has about 30 something words now (compared with 8 or so at last month's update).  Most of the words probably would not be recognizable to anyone else but PB and I, but they still count!  He has two 2-word combo's: "oh no" and "all done".    It's the best when he has these "conversations" with me, but I have no idea what he's saying.  He even gestures with his hands and everything.

He is starting to get a little bit less shy.  He will wave to strangers readily and sometimes even blow kisses (only to females).  He likes to give other moms sand at the playground and stand one foot away from them and stare at them for extended periods of time.  Strange men are still a no-no for him.

He dances hill billy style...with only one foot stomping on the ground.  Our sitter listens to country (as does most of suburban PA, which I was surprised to learn when I first moved here) so that's what they do during their dance parties.

He loves our gardens (what little of it I planted).  He will walk to each plant and lean over to smell it (even the ones that don't have flowers).  I taught him how to softly feel the leaves, which he does most of the time...until he can't fight the urge to bash the flowers together.  He's pretty good at not pulling off stuff.  He loves our spirea bush, which looks like this:

Our is bigger and bushier because we didn't know we were suppose to prune it (and apparently neither did the previous owners).  But Tyler will take any random objects he finds and stick it into the bush and far as his little arm will allow.  We must have at least 10 random items stuck in there now.  He'll also throw himself into it and let himself be submerged in the branches.  Luckily, it's a pretty tough shrub, so no harm done.  I'm thinking about planing a long row of it along our garage since he likes it so much.

He will finally eat with a fork.  He could always do it before, but never wanted to.  Now he willingly eats with it.  We're still working on the spoon.  He likes to turn the spoon upside down when he puts it in his mouth so that he can lick it...which means everything falls out of it.

Baby #2 is doing well.  I'm finally gaining consistent weight.  I think as of my 29 week appointment, I've gained 15 pounds, which isn't a lot...but it took me 3 months to start gaining weight at all.  I think by the end, I will probably be at around +25 pounds, which is normal.  I was supposed to have my first visit with my new OB today.  I drove there only to find out that I was supposed to bring my old medical records with me, but no one told me to do so.  So he didn't want to officially see me without knowing any of my medical history or any of the results and notes from this pregnancy.  I guess that's fair enough.  It was just annoying.  Good thing it's only 5 minutes away.

She is less active than Tyler was in utero.  Only a few violent rolls per day (although it may still be early).  Tyler was constant...and he hiccup'ed all day (he still does).  Usually it's just gentle flutters.